Not Related

Shinso didn't understand why everyone at UA was convinced that he and Eraserhead were related.

On his first day in the hero course, he was barely through the 2-A classroom door when the pink alien lady asked him, 'Are you and Aizawa-sensei relatives?', as she blocked his way to the room. 

When homeroom period began, he couldn't help but overhear tape guy and the red-haired dude whispering how much he and Eraserhead looked alike. He ignored them as he walked to the front to give an obligatory introduction to the class. 

On his way back to his desk, he could've sworn the invisible one had her eyes on him, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand. He heard her mumble the words, 'their eyes look so similar', before he finally made it to his chair. 

At the end of first period, the frog girl sitting in front of him asked how he got Aizawa-sensei to train him personally. After all, it was an open secret that the underground hero never liked extra work. He was never known to take in disciples either, or play favorites throughout his entire teaching career.

When the lunch bell rang, it was the explosive hothead who went over to his desk, yelling something about not losing to him even if he had a top-notch hero as a mentor. The spiky-haired blonde went on to tell him not to get too cocky just because Eraserhead had his back. 

Shinso had half a mind to use his quirk to shut him up, but he decided it wasn't worth it. So he left the fuming blonde behind to head to the cafeteria instead. He was glad some of the them managed to convince the loudmouth not to antagonize him further. At least there were some people in his class who had common sense. 

He pretended not to hear the calls of Midoriya and his group to come join them at their lunch table. After all, he wasn't here to make friends. Every single person in his class was a rival, and he was already several hundred steps behind. He didn't have time to waste.

When he sat by one of the isolated tables with a tray of his food, he was stunned to find the half-and-half honor student moving to sit on the chair across him. The scar on the shorter boy's face intensified the unyielding gaze he was sending him.

"Are you Aizawa-sensei's illegitimate love child?"

He didn't know if this guy was serious, or if he was just trying to fuck with him. He didn't stay long enough to find out.

He took a quick trip to the bathroom before afternoon classes began, deciding to return with just a minute to spare. That way he could have a few more moments of silence. 

He opened the door to the 2-A classroom, pausing before he could pull it out all the way. There was currently a very heated, very passionate argument going on about him and his connection to Eraserhead.

"There's no way they're not related."

"Have you seen their eyes?"

"The poofy fluffy hair!"

"And the personality. You can't fake that!"

"I once ran into them outside of school leaving a cat cafe!"

"For real?!"

"When?!" 

"Just before school started! I couldn't believe it! And they both just nodded at me and walked away like it was a normal thing!"

"So they hang out during breaks too?!" 

"Well, sensei does train him... So I guess it's expected that they spend a lot of time together?" 

"I can't believe sensei actually gave him his cloth binds!" 

"And he doesn't even let us touch it." 

"I saw them leave the training area once, and Aizawa-sensei bought him something from a vending machine."

"HUH?!"

Shinso winced at the simultaneous boisterous reply of his classmates. He sighed. He was used to being the topic of gossip in class. After all, with a quirk like his, people always loved to speculate. But this was definitely the first time anyone's ever shown any interest towards his familial ties.

He swung the door open, feeling the entire class quiet down. He ignored the strange palpable tension in the room, grateful that the professor for the afternoon's first period was right behind him.

The rest of the day went by quickly with him disregarding a couple more blatant stares and curious whispers. No one else dared to ask him any more questions up front. Perhaps the look on his face was enough to repel most of them. 

When the bell rang, Shinso gathered the rest of his things promptly, slinging his bag over his body as he moved towards the door. He paused when the lightning kid called his attention, mentioning something about how everyone was throwing a welcome party for him tonight, including the students of 2-B.

"Why?" 

"Why not?" 

He eyed the grinning blonde pikachu skeptically. He wasn't making any sense. What were they trying to achieve by doing something so... pointless? 

He was about to argue how incredibly unnecessary it was, when the class representative's voice boomed throughout the room, reminding everyone of the agenda for the evening. He sighed, deciding to walk away before anyone would notice. He had to report to Aizawa-sensei after all.

He scratched his head. He didn't know what the underground hero wanted to hear, but certainly an update regarding his first day in the hero course could be something done via SMS? The UA professor was insanely busy after all. He could have at least used the extra time he had for a power nap. 

He hurried to the 2-A dorms while the rest of the class was busy, spotting Eraserhead standing by the entrance. It wasn't any different from their usual debriefing, which involved reflecting on what he learned during a specific training exercise. 

Aizawa-sensei went on to ask him about his classmates and what he thought of them, followed by questions about his moving in. It was somewhat... odd giving him anecdotes about how his past week had been.

As the conversation reached its end, he felt his mentor drop a hand over his head, patting him twice before announcing his goodbye. Shinso nodded stiffly in place, still not quite used to the gesture of affection. He never knew how to respond to it, or how he should appropriately deal with the sudden burst of warmth in his chest whenever it would happen.

"See! I told you there's no way they're not related!"

"Shut up, Kaminari! He'll hear you!"

"Did he just drop by to check on Shinso?"

"I want Aizawa-sensei to pat me on the head too!"

"He only ever 'pats' us with his cloth binds..."

Shinso eyed the moving bushes a few paces from him, trying his best not to roll his eyes as he headed inside the dormitory.

"Thank you for having me."

Shinso bowed politely towards the rest of his peers as they cheered their congratulations. This entire celebration was completely unnecessary. What was the point of making him feel welcome? He was just one more rival to compete against — one more person they needed to outnumber in the ranks. 

He sighed, eying the sophomores around him in silence. The idea of being surrounded by these many people, who didn't think twice about talking to him, made him feel... strange. 

"You should have come to class 2-B!"

Shinso took hold of the glass of juice pushed towards him, eying the obnoxious blonde glaring at him like he was some sort of traitor. "The decision wasn't mine to make." He replied flatly. 

"Ah! So you would have chosen our class if it were up to you?!" 

Shinso glared at the arm that looped around him through narrowed eyes. "No." He moved away to make it drop off his shoulder, but Monoma kept his hold on him. 

"How's training with your dad?"

Shinso sighed. This was the main reason why all those rumors kept on spreading. Ever since the copycat quirk holder jokingly referred to them as father and son in public, people started talking. He rolled his eyes. The fact that anyone would even consider it to be real was ridiculous.

"You're Eraserhead's kid?!"

"Woah woah woah! Is that why he gives you so much attention?"

"Is Shinso your mother's name?"  

"If you take a good look at him, he does look a lot like sensei!" 

"How did we not realize something so obvious?" 

Shinso drowned out the rest of class 2-B's questions as he nudged the smirking blonde's arm off him. When he noticed some students from 2-A start to join in on the conversation, he quietly excused himself so he could finally have some peace in his own room. He sighed. 

Why wouldn't people just mind their own business? 

Shinso flopped on his bed, closing his eyes to enjoy the silence. He let out a long sigh, unused to so much social activity in one day. He felt bone-tired, but for some reason, he's never felt so high.

He was in the hero course.

He raised a fist in the air, staring wide-eyed at the blank ceiling in stunned silence.

He was in the fucking hero course.

He couldn't believe it. Everything felt surreal. A part of him didn't want to fall asleep for fear that it would all end up being a dream the moment he woke up. He shook his head. 

No. 

This was real. This was happening. This was the result of all his hard work. But most importantly, it had all been possible because someone finally believed in him.

He grabbed his phone to open his messaging app, eying the cursor of the chat box labeled 'Eraserhead 🙀'. His thumb lingered on the keyboard of his screen, not quite sure what to say to his mentor exactly.

Today felt like a dream?

I had an amazing first day?

I can't believe I'm finally in the hero course?

He huffed, scratching the back of his head in frustration. None of them felt right.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly typed a short message, sending it before he could change his mind. He hid his phone under his pillow as he crossed his arms on his chest, wishing Aizawa-sensei was already asleep. The sudden chime of his message alert tone told him otherwise.

Thank you, sensei.

Go to sleep kid.

The warm feeling on his chest was back, making it incredibly difficult for him not to smile.

"Thank you so much... Aizawa-sensei." 

Shinso wiped the sweat off his brow, huffing as he slowed down to take a break. The sun was starting to rise, which meant he needed to finish his jog soon if he wanted to be the first to use the showers. He sighed. Never again would he make a mistake of hitting the baths after seven in the morning. It was like a battlefield. He never realized how difficult it was to live with other people. He was used to having his own space his whole life after all.

The sound of rhythmic footsteps reached his ears, urging him to turn around. The distinct two-tone hair color that greeted him made him groan. The look the half-and-half boy was giving him, alongside the notable slowing of his jogs, told Shinso that he was gearing up for a chat.

Shinso returned the nod Todoroki sent him, eying the shorter boy curiously as his mismatched eyes zoned in on him.

"I heard from Monoma…" Todoroki looked down, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He didn't know if the purple-haired transfer student would appreciate his sentiment, but as someone who's also from a complicated family situation, he wanted to at least provide a bit of support. "Aizawa-sensei had been unaware of your existence up until the start of high school. It was only then that he realized he was a father all this time."

Shinso took a moment to just… look at him. Was Todoroki really being serious, or was he honestly that unbelievably gullible? He let out a long, slow breath. He was going to kill Monoma. "He's not my dad." He watched the fire and ice quirk holder blink at him in stunned surprise. Did he really believe that ridiculous story?

"No?"

"No." Shinso deadpanned. "You're an idiot if you believe a word out of that copycat's mouth."

"Oh."

Shinso didn't bother to wait for him to come into terms with the truth. He started to jog away, leaving Endeavor's son standing there in silence. Why was he so curious about his family affairs anyway?

"Brother, then?"

Shinso nearly tripped on his own two feet, whirling around in disbelief when he heard Todoroki call out to him again. "What?" He responded just above a whisper, eying the other boy in utter disbelief.

The look on the brainwashing quirk user's face made Todoroki rethink his assumption. "Cousin?"

For the love of– "We're not related." Shinso replied with a finality that offered no further rebuttal.

"Oh, sorry." Came the two-tone haired boy's reply, bowing slightly before he resumed his morning jog.

Shinso scoffed as he watched the back of the top student disappear in a corner. For someone so academically gifted, he could seriously be an idiot sometimes.

Shinso clicked his tongue at the sound of incessant knocking. Who was it this time? He was still busy trying to dry his unruly hair for crying out loud. It's barely been a week since school started but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get a single day of peace to himself.

He dropped the blower on his bed, stomping his way towards the door to open it. He watched the electricity user flinch at the sudden, unexpected movement. "What?" Came his irate tone.

"Oh, uh… Breakfast is ready."

"And?"

Kaminari looked at him weird, not sure what the former general studies student meant. "And you never head down to eat." He shrugged. "So let's go. Everyone always eats together."

Shinso failed to hide the surprise on his face. They all ate... together? How did they even manage to get everyone to participate? "I don't eat breakfast." He moved to close the door, but a hand was pressed against it in the next second.

"Huh?! Are you serious?" Kaminari looked at him with wide eyes. And here everyone thought he was skipping breakfast because he was feeling shy or something. "How do you get through morning classes without any food?"

"Coffee." Shinso replied curtly, as if the answer was obvious enough. He glared at the hand against his door, wishing the loudmouth would just drop it. The other ones who tried to called him down for breakfast always gave up the moment he told them he didn't eat in the morning.

Strange machine-like noises, followed by pouring sounds, made Kaminari attempt to peek in the room, but Shinso's form and the wide expanse of the door blocked his view. "Why does it smell like…?” He paused to sniff the air. “Are you making coffee in there?" An impatient look was all he got as an answer.

“I need to get ready for school, so if you don’t mind?” Shinso nudged the door still propped open against the hand of the meddling blonde.

Kaminari eyed the purple-haired boy from head to toe in silent appraisal. He was far from the scrawny kid they fought against during the sports festival, but he was still a way to go if he really wanted to bulk up.

"Okay, dude. You seriously gotta head down and eat something. Skipping breakfast ain't healthy! I swear the food's pretty good. It's Kirishima and Bakugo's turn this time. No matter how much of an ass Bakugo is, he's a surprisingly impressive cook! Trust me! You'll regret it if you don't taste it! So come on! Hurry up! They made more than enough for everyone!"

There'd been a lot of temptations for Shinso regarding the use of his quirk for his own personal gain, but he couldn't remember the last time the urge had been this strong. He wanted to order the hyperactive pikachu to shut up so bad.

In the end, the red-haired guy, the one who always smelled like vanilla and frosting, and the mutant who loved animals were by his door as well, asking him to tag along too. He sighed, stepping out of his room to head to the dining area with them.

Why wouldn't everyone just leave him alone?

Shinso took a moment to catch his breath after making sure that he was a good couple of meters away from the dormitory. When he overheard that Midoriya and his friends were waiting for him by the entrance again, he knew he had to head out through his room's window and find an alternative route to class.

He sighed. What was the point of walking to school together? It's not like he didn't know the grounds. He may be a new student in the hero course but he's been in UA as long as they have. He didn't need anyone's help getting around. 

He clicked his tongue. This particular way was a bit longer than his usual path, but he was sure he would make it in time for homeroom period if he kept his pace.

"Hey! Hey, you there! Wait up, listener! Shinso Hitoshi!"

Shinso let out a calming breath before facing the sound hero who immediately took hold of his shoulders. "What is it, sensei?"

"Is it true?! I heard just yesterday! Is Shota really your dad?! Did he really abandon you and your mom when she was pregnant with you?!"

Shinso knew that Present Mic was a bit… odd, and that his sanity and interests were often times… questionable, but he's never felt so weirded out by the older man than he was now. The rumors were seriously getting out of hand, but the fact that the blonde hero even lent an ear to them didn't make any sense.

"I was laughing at the whole thing when people first started talking about it, but when I asked Shota, he just… looked at me, sighed, and then walked away! He keeps avoiding my calls and he isn't answering any of my messages!"

Shinso took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly through his nose as he watched the UA professor pace all over the place.

"I mean, I've known Shota since our days in UA, but you know, he's never the type to talk about himself or anything. You can ask him stuff but he always answers vaguely, you know? So it got me thinking… What if, you know, he actually got involved with someone in the past? It could've been one night that eventually resulted to, you know…"

Shinso watched the older man gesture at him, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "You, of all people, should know how ridiculous those rumors are, Mic-sensei."

"So… you're not, you know?"

"No." He replied flatly.

"You don't have to save his ass if he really was, you know, an ass. You can tell me the truth."

"I'm not his son." Shinso answered with more conviction this time, hoping the glare that accompanied his response got the point across. "Now if there's nothing else, I'm going to be late."

Shinso didn't bother to wait for a reply, walking away from Present Mic before he could say another word. He sighed. What the hell were people thinking? How could anyone spread those baseless, damaging rumors about Eraserhead? He felt his blood boil at the thought of his mentor's reputation being unfairly tarnished.

It was barely two minutes since his encounter with the sound hero, when the silhouette of the former symbol of peace appeared before his eyes. A sudden puff of smoke made his once muscular form deflate into a scrawny, sickly old man.

All Might fought the coughs that wracked his chest, clearing his throat several times as he swallowed the blood that spilled through his mouth. "Young Shinso, I was hoping to run into you."

"Sensei." He nodded his greeting, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder as he waited for him to finish his sentiment.

"I won't beat around the bush. Aizawa-kun and I may not get along often, but believe me when I say this… He is a trustworthy man. Incredibly responsible. Righteous. Always fair. I may not know all the details of the situation, but… I hope, regardless of whatever might have happened in the past, you can find it in your heart to give him a chance."

Shinso resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Not this one, too.

"I'm sure Aizawa-kun had his reasons. Wrong as they may be… But perhaps hearing them out would somehow help?"

"We're not related." Shinso summarized curtly before sidestepping away from the surprised hero. "I'm late for class." He offered as an explanation while taking his leave.

All Might glanced at the back of the gloomy boy, finally understanding why he always had this… sadness around him wherever he went. He probably still couldn't accept the fact that his own father abandoned him as a child, and was, out of nowhere, suddenly offering him help and advice. It was obvious in the bitter way he rejected the idea of them being a family altogether. He sighed. Hopefully the identical looking father and son would patch things up eventually.

Shinso hurriedly changed his shoes by the lockers, realizing he was the only one left in the area. He huffed in annoyance. If only those blonde heroes hadn't slowed him down, he wouldn't be having this problem. He clicked his tongue. What was it about blondes and their incessant need to keep yapping?

Shinso finally made it to the second floor, only to be cornered by Midnight-sensei in the hallway. "He's not my father. I'm not his kid. We're not related." He blurted out before she could get a word in.

Midnight groaned in annoyance. So all the rumors were false? She huffed, ignoring the younger boy who bounded through the halls in a rush. So much for a little bit of drama.

Shinso barely made it in class, bowing in apology towards their homeroom teacher as he made his way towards his chair. He ignored the curious, inquisitive glances sent towards him, focusing on getting himself settled on his desk. He cursed silently in his head. It was barely eight in the morning, but he felt like he's been up all week without a single ounce of sleep.

He pulled out a pen and a notebook, flipping through it as first period started. He took a deep breath in, hoping he'd be able to concentrate on all his classes throughout the day.

Shinso could almost taste the relief his body felt the moment the bell rang. The day was finally over. He could head back to his room and-

"Would Shinso Hitoshi please report to the principal's office? I repeat, would Shinso Hitoshi of Class 2-A please report to the principal's office. Thank you."

Shinso could feel every single pair of eyes on him as he gathered the rest of his things, leaving the room before anyone else could ask why he was being summoned by Nezu-sensei. It's not like he knew the answer to that either.

"Oh! Glad of you to come so quickly."

Shinso bowed politely towards the tiny… Rat? Dog? Bear? He shook his head. That part didn't really matter. "What am I called for, principal?" He sat on the couch Nezu gestured towards.

"I'll get straight to the point. Since I'm the head of this school, it's my responsibility to get to the bottom of things."

Shinso sighed. He knew exactly what this was about. "Nezu-sensei, I'll save you the trouble of asking. Aizawa-sensei and I are not related by blood." He watched the feline nod casually at his answer.

"I'm aware, but it's still my responsibility to confirm it. I already talked to Eraserhead earlier and he told me the same thing. I just wanted to hear your answer."

"Is sensei in trouble because of the rumors?" He watched the High Spec quirk user send him an amused glance.

"Oh no! This is just a formality to ensure that there won't be any bias towards you from his side. He still teaches a class to you sophomores after all."

"I see." Shinso nodded, secretly glad that his mentor was in the clear.

"I confess though, a small part of me doubted him a little." Nezu grinned sheepishly at the wide-eyed look the younger boy donned, clearly surprised by his statement. 

"I'm sorry?"

"You see, in all the years that he's taught here, never before have I seen him so passionate over a student. Not only did he lobby for your transfer, but he also spends most of his free time training you." Nezu chuckled to himself as he shook his head in disbelief. "It's an unexpected development, but an utterly pleasant one to be honest. To think that that lazy ass actually turned out to be quite a stellar teacher!"

Shinso nodded slightly, not sure what to say exactly. It wasn't the first time he's been told that the underground hero had a bias towards him, but this was definitely the only instance he's ever felt it to be true. Eraserhead wasn't his homeroom teacher after all, so he just assumed he treated everyone under his care equally.

"Thank you, Shinso."

"Sir?" He glanced at the smile on the principal's face, confused by his gratitude.

"It was thanks to you and last year's class 1-A that Aizawa finally started loving teaching. He's always excelled at it, that’s no question. But during the previous year… I could tell he was really happy."

Shinso nodded again, still unsure of what to respond. If anyone should be grateful, it should be him. After all, none of this would have happened if it weren't for Eraserhead. It all just seemed like a childish dream to him until the underground hero made him realize it was possible. He never really saw the light at the end of the tunnel until his mentor finally showed him the way.

"So thank you, Shinso."

Shinso mimicked the bow the principal sent him, deciding not to say anything further.

"We can definitely keep the weekend schedules, but the weekday training would have to vary depending on my availability. Most of them would have to be planned last minute. Is that okay?"

"Of course, sensei. It's not a problem."

"…"

Shinso eyed his phone to check if the call had been cut off. Seeing it still connected, he brought it back against his ear. "Sen-"

"You seem irritated."

Shinso blinked at the random observation. "I… I’m not."

"Toshi."

Shinso sighed. Aizawa-sensei was using that tone of his again – the one that told him he could see through all his bull shit so there was no point in lying.

Shinso gave up eventually and began mentioning all the rumors spreading about them. The story now had a life of its own, having several versions crafted to sully his mentor’s name. Eraserhead was being labeled as someone who abandoned a child, and refused to financially support a woman he supposedly knocked up. He clicked his tongue. How on earth people could even think that was beyond him.

"They're not all bad."

"Sensei, you don't have to mince your words with me, remember? If you’re bothered, just say so."

"I’m not."

"Why not?" He huffed, fisting his free hand in frustration. “They’re accusing you of all sorts of things without any proof!” He heard the older man sigh exasperatedly in reply.

"There are worse things I can be accused of."

"But–"

"Being your dad isn't one of them."

Shinso didn't know what to answer to that. The warm feeling was back, spreading all throughout his body, reaching until the very tips of his toes. It was exhilarating but at the same time… comforting. There was a tightness in his chest, but somehow it wasn't suffocating. It was strangely… grounding.

What was this feeling?

"Good night, kid."

The line was dead before Shinso could say the words back.

"Good night, Aizawa-sensei."

"How irresponsible, Aizawa-sensei!"

"The news reports say it's going to be a rainy week. Why didn't you bring an umbrella?"

"What if Eri-chan gets sick?"

"Todoroki, get over here!"

"Come on, Eri-chan. Let's get you dry."

Aizawa watched his former homeroom class fuss over the soaked little girl he had in tow as they made their way inside class 2-A's dormitory, needing temporary reprieve from the downpour. He sighed, scratching the back of his head in exasperation. He had been too busy grading papers all week that he hadn't bothered to check the weather reports.

Shinso hurried to his room, forgetting about the half eaten dinner on his plate all together. He grabbed the folded blanket off his mattress, before pulling the drawer of his bedside table open to take out the hair dryer. He rushed down the stairs, offering the items towards his mentor and his ward.

"What's that?"

Shinso watched the tape guy… Sero, if he wasn't mistaken, eye the blower in his hands curiously. "A hair dryer." He answered matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Sero took the odd titanium device in his hand, peeking through the open hole on the top. "Where's the propeller?"

Shinso blinked. Were they supposed to have one?

"Dude! That's that really expensive brand!" Kaminari pointed at the device, humming to himself as he tried to remember the name.

"It's a Byson."

Kaminari shifted his index finger towards Bakugo, nodding at him in agreement. "Right! Byson!"

"You have a Byson for a hair dryer?!"

"I thought they only made fans and air purifiers?"

"They have cleaning materials too! Mainly vacuums."

"But aren't they ridiculously expensive?"

Shinso felt several pairs of eyes on him, not quite understanding what all the commotion was about. He ignored their stares, unfolding the blanket in his hands to wrap it around Eri who was now partially dry thanks to Todoroki.

"Woah! Is that Durberry?"

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Is it real?"

"It's real! It's got a legit tag and everything!"

"You have a Durberry… blanket?"

Shinso eyed the rest of his classmates, clearly confused. Why were they making such a big deal out of everything?

"Shinso…" Kaminari glanced at him with wide-eyes. "Are you… a rich kid?"

Shinso felt something brush against the nape of his neck, swerving around quickly to grab the wrist of whoever it was who had the audacity to try and sneak up on him.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

He eyed the floating garments in front of him, letting go of the invisible twisted arm he held in his grasp. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was just checking the tag of your lounge clothes." Hagakure answered truthfully, rubbing her sore shoulder as she grumbled to herself.

"Why?" Shinso looked at her the same way civilians would whenever they caught sight of floating apparel. He watched one of the sleeves of the empty shirt shift, angling itself towards his face. Was she pointing at him?

"Who wears Shanel to bed?!"

A collective gasp resounded throughout the common room.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Damn, so you're really a trust fund kid?"

"How did we not know all this time?"

Shinso took a step back when he saw Aoyama inching towards him, eying the back of his top where the tag was. He sent the flamboyant boy a look of warning. He seriously did not want to deal with yet another vain blonde.

Momo glanced at everyone in silence, not quite sure why they looked so… shocked. Was that something out of the norm? She tilted her head to one side in contemplation. There was so much about the world she had yet to learn about.

"Ah!" Kaminari pointed a finger at Shinso. "I heard some weird sounds coming from your room that one time!"

Everyone eyed Shinso apprehensively.

WEIRD SOUNDS?

Shinso glared at talkative blonde, annoyed by his accusatory tone. "What are you talking about?"

"It sounded like grinding!"

Everybody froze at the implications of Kaminari's words.

GRINDING?!

Shinso was eying him like a madman now. What on earth was he–

"Followed by the smell of coffee!" Kaminari folded his arms across his chest.

Everyone glared at electricity user, irritated by his misleading words.

Jiro aimed one of the couch pillows onto his head. "Choose your words better, idiot!"

Kaminari whirled around to send her an offended look, running a hand through his messed up hair. "What the hell?! All I'm trying to say is that he has a coffee maker in his room!" He pointed blindly at the purple-haired boy.

Shinso furrowed his brows, not understanding the point of the conversation. "And?" He was starting to feel his skin prick at the sheer amount of attention on him. He clicked his tongue. Why was everybody looking at him?

"Just out of curiosity…"

Shinso turned his irate gaze towards the frog– Tsuyu, raising a brow as he waited for her to finish the rest of her statement.

"What brand is your coffee maker?"

Shinso tried his best to remember. What was it again? He never really bothered to take note of names or models. He just bought the first one he saw online that was compact enough and had good reviews.

"I'm not sure." He folded his arms on his chest. "It sounds like espresso, or something…"

"You mean, Mespresso?" Tsuyu clarified.

"Yeah." Shinso eyed her resolutely. It did sound like that.

"Are you serious?!"

"Isn't that the one that uses pods or capsules or something?"

"A single Mespresso pod is like twice the price of café coffees."

"What?!"

"Wow, Shinso. You live in a totally different world!"

Shinso was beyond confused by this time, shifting his glance towards Eraserhead to look for some sort of guidance.

Aizawa sighed, rubbing the back of his head exasperatedly as he glanced at his former students with tired eyes. "His mom is the CEO of Zony."

Another collective gasp erupted from class 2-A.

"For real?!"

"I can't believe I'm classmates with a legitimate heir!"

"How did we not know this?"

"Cause he never hangs out in the common area."

"Dude, you're set for life! I'm so jealous!"

Shinso scratched the back of his head, not exactly sure how to deal with everyone's reactions. This was similar to the behavior of his former general studies classmates when they found out who his mother was. He sighed. He didn't get it. No one from his middle school seemed to care. All of them had parents who owned other companies too.

Shinso felt a soft tug against his joggers, glancing down to see Eri smiling at him. Only her head peeked out from the blanket he wrapped around her.

"Toshi-nii! This is so warm!" She shrugged several times, glancing down at the tartan-check patterned cloth that engulfed her entire body. "It smells like you too!"

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward under the beaming little girl's gaze. "Is it bad?"

"Nuh-uh." Eri shook her head. "It smells nice!"

Shinso nodded his head awkwardly, shifting his eyes elsewhere, still not quite used to the open way she always seemed to address him.

"S-She… She called you Toshi… Nii…"

Shinso glanced at Midoriya's stunned form, pointing a shaking finger towards the little girl who still had her hand wrapped around the cloth of his joggers, just beside his knee.

"I've known her much longer, but she never calls me by my name. She doesn't refer to me as 'onii-chan' either. She always uses my hero moniker. I mean, that makes sense since I did introduce myself as Deku. No, wait. I also told her my real one. And she could have added onii-san after my hero name."

Shinso eyed the green-haired boy oddly, hearing him mumble nearly incoherent words to himself as he walked away dejectedly.

A loud sneeze directed everyone's attention towards the sloppy looking adult by the entrance, looking like he was about to keel over at any minute.

"Aizawa-sensei, are you alright?"

"Ah! Don't get me sick sensei! I can't miss lessons!"

"Todoroki! Sensei needs more fire!"

Eri made her way back to Eraserhead, staring at him worriedly with wide eyes. "Are you okay, Shota-san?"

Everyone within earshot froze at the offhanded way the little girl addressed their former homeroom teacher.

SHOTA-SAN?!

"I'm fine." Aizawa sniffed as he eyed the windows of the dormitory, checking if the rain had finally died down. It wasn't as punishing as it was earlier, but the downpour was still steady.

"Sensei, let's get you a change of clothes." Shinso tilted his head towards the stairs. "I have a couple that would probably fit you. The latest set mom sent were all too big for me." He sighed.

His mother was almost always stressed because of her job and would use online shopping as a way to ease her tension. He would get random packages that ranged from exercise equipment, games, skincare sets, snacks, clothes, accessories, toys, gadgets – you name it, he's had it.

"Ah!" Ashido jumped out of her seat, racing towards the stairs. "Now's our chance!"

"Let's see how Shinso's room looks like!" Kaminari was right behind her.

"Oh, I wanna see too!" Kirishima and Sero echoed as they bounded towards the stairs as well.

"Anyone who goes in my room without my permission will face the consequences."

All four of them froze in place, turning around wordlessly to head back to where they once were, not bothering to offer Shinso a glance. They got the message loud and clear.

"Let's go, sensei." Shinso called out as he made his way up to his room.

"A-Aizawa… sensei?!"

"What?!"

"So cool!"

"No way?!"

"It's like a different person!"

"Sensei, you look so handsome!"

The rest of class 2-A stared at their former homeroom teacher with wide-eyes and open mouths. He was wearing a maroon turtleneck cable knit sweater, camel slacks, and dark brown leather shoes. He had his slightly damp hair in a ponytail, making it look sleek and stylish.

"Look Eri-chan! Doesn't Aizawa-sensei look different?" Uraraka called out as she bent down to observe the little girl's reaction.

Eri turned away from the flashlight she was playing with to glance back at her guardian. "Nuh-uh." She shook her head. "Shota-san looks like that when he's not working." She shrugged offhandedly as she slipped off the couch and bounced towards him. "Shota-san! Look! Look!" She showed off the animal shadow she learned to make in the past few minutes. She giggled at the silhouette of her fingers against the light, tilting her hand to the sides to make it move.

"Oh, it's a dog." Aizawa called out, placing a hand over the little girl's head. "Good job, Eri."

Class 2-A looked on in stunned silence, watching the underground hero with slack jaws, utterly speechless. They didn't know what shocked them more – the idea that Aizawa-sensei actually had a fashion sense, or the fact that he was capable of such a gentle expression.

Who was this alternate universe version of Eraserhead standing right in front of them?

"The rain finally stopped." Aizawa noted as he glanced out the windows. "Let's go, Eri. It's almost past your bedtime."

Shinso followed them to the door, handing over the sturdy paper bag that held his mentor's damp clothes. "Here. Just in case." He offered the umbrella in his hand as well.

Aizawa took both items in one hand, dropping his free one over the purple-haired boy's head casually. "Thanks."

Shinso looked away, feeling awkward under the intense scrutiny of his classmates. He swallowed down the familiar feeling of warmth he got whenever his mentor offered him that gesture. "It's nothing." He mumbled in reply.

Aizawa was about to announce his leave, when he noticed his former homeroom students eying him strangely. "What?"

"How come only Eri and Shinso get head pats?"

"Yeah, sensei! You never do that to any of us!"

"Shinso, no fair!"

"Teachers shouldn't show any bias towards students, right?"

"Favoritism! Fa-vo-ri-ti-sm!"

Aoyama raised a hand in the air, facing the dissent of his classmates head on. "All those in favor of Aizawa-sensei patting us on the head, say 'I'!"

The immediate response was a consensus. The rest of the students started rushing by the door, tilting their heads towards their favorite UA professor shamelessly.

"Alright! Fall in line! Let's do this in an orderly manner!" Iida began waving his hands at everyone, guiding them where to go to make things more efficient.

Aizawa's seen a lot of crazy behavior from students throughout his years as a teacher, but this one definitely took the cake. He had no idea why in the world any of them would want a head pat from him. He sighed. It didn't make any sense. He expected only the boisterous, extroverted ones to fall in line, but to see even Tokoyami, Shoji and Todoroki waiting their turn… He didn't know what to think.

Aizawa rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward as he offered them one head pat after another. The last one in line was the ever responsible class president, who always prioritized his peers before himself.

Iida nodded his thanks towards his former home room teacher, before sweeping his gaze throughout the room to eye the rest of his classmates. "We offer gratitude on the count of three! 1-2-3!"

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AIZAWA-SENSEI!"

"Uh, sure…" Aizawa's continued to rub a hand against his nape, feeling awkward at the sight of his students bowing at him for something so trivial. It was just a pat on the head after all.

"I said I don't want it!"

"Oh come on, man! Everyone got one!"

"Let go you fucking losers!"

"Don't be shy, Kacchan!"

Aizawa blinked at the sight of Kirishima and Kaminari dragging an incensed Bakugo towards him. He noticed Uraraka slowly sneak up behind them, tapping the explosive blonde on the back, making him float in the air.

"You little– I'll fucking kill you, round face!"

Kaminari and Kirishima grinned at the back of the gravity quirk user as she walked away, whistling to herself nonchalantly.

Aizawa stared down at the grumbling teen nudged between the only two people in class who always tried their best to include him in everything. He sighed. There was no point in forcing the hothead to do this though.

"Just do it."

Aizawa eyed the spiky-haired boy who looked clearly displeased, but stood unmoving in front of him, still waiting for his head pat. He blinked. Well, he certainly didn't expect that. He dropped his hand over his hair, feeling the younger boy immediately move away after the contact, grumbling under his breath.

Realizing he's had enough of his students' ridiculous antics, Aizawa finally announced his leave, holding Eri's hand in his free one as they left the dorms. He sighed again.

Why was his former homeroom class so weird?

Shinso glanced down at the little girl holding onto the pocket of his slacks, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked her through the grounds. He received a call from Aizawa-sensei after class and had been instructed to bring Eri to the principal's office. The underground hero seemed to have gotten an urgent summon from the Hero Association.

"And then Shota-san fell asleep!" Eri giggled as she skipped happily to match the purple-haired boy's pace.

Shinso could never understand why Eri felt so relaxed in his presence. He was never the type kids gravitated to for no reason. He couldn't remember doing anything in particular that could have gained her favor either.

"Why are you so…?" He paused, unsure if he should continue.

"Hm?" Eri looked up at him with big bright red eyes.

"Why are you so at ease with me?" He stopped in his tracks, sending her a guarded look; the hand against his nape stayed still.

Eri stood in silence as she tilted her head to one side, eying him keenly. She began to hum to herself as she searched for an answer; her hand still grasping the outline of Shinso's pocket. "You're like Shota-san." She eventually replied.

"Huh?"

"That!" She pointed at the hand resting on his neck. "Shota-san does that a lot." She grinned. "That!" She aligned her finger towards his purple irises. "You always look sleepy... Just like Shota-san!" She giggled. "That!" She jumped, raising both hands up to try and aim for his head, but they barely reached his chest. "Shota-san's hair gets poofy like that sometimes!"

Shinso blinked at the beaming little girl in front of him in stunned silence. She was comfortable with him… because he reminded her of Aizawa-sensei? He stared at the open expression on her face, not quite knowing how to respond.

"Oh… What's this I see? Are the siblings out to play?"

Shinso turned his head around to glare at the obnoxious blonde from class 2-B. "Get lost."

"Oh don't be like that, Shinso!" Monoma leaned an elbow against the taller man's shoulder, throwing an offhanded salute at the pouting little girl. "Yo, Eri-chan!"

Shinso eyed the annoyed look on Eri's face, surprised that she was capable of making that kind of expression. He watched her stick her tongue out at the blonde, who only laughed out loud in response.

"You see that, Shinso?! Did you see that?!" He combed the bangs off his face, slapping a hand against his chest as he puffed it out in pride. "I taught her that!"

Shinso shrugged off the arm resting over his shoulder, putting a hand on Eri's back to guide her away from the crazy boy. He clicked his tongue when he saw him follow right behind them.

"Listen Eri-chan. I'm going to teach you a new trick. If you master this, you can make anyone shut up!"

Shinso's eyes widened when he realized just what finger Monoma was trying to lift. He gripped it in one hand, making the annoying copycat yelp in pain. "Cut it out or I'll break your hand." He warned, nudging the little girl behind him with his free hand as he blocked her view. He could feel her hold onto the edge of his blazer as he tapped her shoulder once in reassurance.

Monoma pulled his sore finger out of the taller man's hold, pressing his other hand against it to soothe the ache. "That hurt! I'm just trying to teach her how to stand up for herself!"

Shinso ignored him as he turned around, bending down on one knee to look at Eri at eye-level. "Do you mind if I carry you? So we can run away from the bad man?" He watched her nod at him, reaching her arms out to wrap around his neck as he hoisted her up against his chest. He tapped her back a few times, hoping the gesture would comfort her.

"Who's the bad man?!"

Shinso sighed in exasperation, realizing Monoma was still trying to follow them. He jogged faster, wishing the loudmouth would trip over a rock and slam his face against the pavement.

"I'm just teaching her stuff so people won't mess with her!"

Shinso watched Eri stick her tongue out towards the copycat one more time, swallowing down the urge to laugh. Witnessing the usually demure little girl getting pissed was amusing. "Just quit it." He called out to the other boy running alongside him.

"Make me!"

Shinso stopped abruptly, sending the shorter man a silent look of warning.

Monoma pressed his lips together, realizing his slip. He raised both palms up in surrender. "I take it back."

Shinso snorted as he began to walk away.

"Stop being so stuck-up." Monoma rolled his eyes as he tucked one hand inside the pocket of his trousers. "She's too quiet!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Eri, who simply stuck her tongue out at him once again. He grinned, proud of her sassy response. "Kids her age are supposed to be spoiled, energetic, and downright awful! That way they get to let it all out of their system and mature once they reach their teens." He shrugged, waving a hand in the air offhandedly as he made his point. "You should just let kids be kids."

"So is that why you're still an annoying brat?" Shinso smirked, throwing him a sarcastic look. "Didn't get it out of your system?"

"Wha–! I'm not a brat you stupi–"

CHOP!

Shinso and Eri nodded their thanks at the class 2-B president, watching her bow at them in apology as she dragged Monoma's unconscious body through the ground.

"If he annoys you too much, let me know. Okay?" Shinso glanced at the little girl in his arms who beamed at him as she nodded in response. "Do you want to go down now?"

"Nuh-uh!" She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly as she nuzzled against him.

Shinso sighed. It was… odd having someone be so openly affectionate towards him. He wasn't used to being touched so casually after all. So he just never knew how to respond.

What was it that Aizawa-sensei did whenever Eri would get this way around him?

Slowly, hesitantly, Shinso allowed himself to lean the side of his chin onto the tiny head that rested against the curve of his neck. He felt her tighten her hold around him, nudging her cheek closer against his warmth. He smiled a little to himself.

This was nice.

Shinso glared at his phone, still unable to sleep. Eraserhead still hadn't responded to the message he sent earlier this evening. It was half past midnight by now and it still hadn't been read. He huffed. Was he still out doing whatever it was that the Hero Association called him out for?

Aizawa-sensei always replied promptly. So the fact that his message hadn't even been read was… strange. He knew the underground hero checked his phone regularly, and always had it by his side while he worked at night. He narrowed his eyes.

Something wasn't right.

He pressed the call button, trying his best to ignore the fact that he would probably be bothering his mentor's sleep.

The number you have dialed is out of service.

Shinso glanced at the phone in disbelief. Why? Was he sent to a far off location? Did his battery run out? Did he lose it during the mission? Did it accidentally break during a fight?

Shinso grit his teeth, unable to fight the urge to check if Aizawa-sensei had made it back to the teachers' dorms safely. He opened his window, hopping down the front lawn quietly, as he ran through the secluded grounds of the school.

He absolutely needed to know.

Aizawa released the grip he had on his cloth binds, eying the purple-haired boy lying face-first on his bedroom floor incredulously. When he sensed someone lurking by his window, he didn't hesitate to aim his weapon through it, dragging the intruder inside his room with a strength he usually reserved for villains.

Shinso groaned as he pushed his free hand against the floor, sitting up to try and untangle himself from the binds. He was glad his body reacted fast enough to nudge a hand against his neck, preventing him from being choked to death.

"What the– Why the hell are you sneaking around at this hour?!"

Shinso bowed his head at the reprimand, glancing up momentarily to see the incensed expression on the older man's face. "You weren't replying." He mumbled under his breath. "I just wanted to check if you got back."

"My battery died." Aizawa ran a hand through his face in exasperation. "I haven't charged it yet. I was busy." He watched the sulking teen wordlessly push himself off the floor, finally free of the binds. He sighed. "Kid, I'm the last person you should be worrying about."

"I wasn't worried."

Aizawa raised a challenging brow at the rushed answer. "Then what are you doing loitering outside this building at…" He paused to glance at the clock hanging against his wall. "One in the morning?"

"Like I said, I just wanted to check if you were back."

Aizawa fought the urge to roll his eyes at the temperamental boy still grumbling in front of him. That basically meant the same thing. And why the hell was he pissed? If anyone had the right to be, it was him. He was face to face with a student who brazenly broke curfew after all.

"I'm fine, kid. Stop worrying."

"I said I wasn't worried, didn't I?"

Aizawa ignored his reply, letting out a long tired sigh as he scratched a finger against his stubble. He made his way towards his protégé, dropping a hand onto his head, patting it heavily for every stressed word he uttered.

"I plan on living a long, boring life, and die a senile, old man, tucked inside my yellow sleeping bag."

Shinso sputtered at the hilarious image that flashed through his mind. He could totally see the underground hero still dragging around that monstrosity of a sleeping bag with him until he died. He laughed out loud, clutching his stomach with both hands as he shook his head in disbelief. Eraserhead had the weirdest sense of humor! He wiped the corners of his eyes, looking up at his mentor as his amusement died down.

"You promise?"

Aizawa pulled his hand off the younger boy's head to rub it against the back of his neck. "You know I don't make promises, kid." He saw the younger boy nod his acceptance, but he didn't miss the way his shoulders sagged in defeat. "But I'll at least make sure I get to see you become a full-fledged hero." He crossed his arms on his chest resolutely. "I won't kick the bucket until then."

Shinso eyed the grin on his mentor's face, feeling an overflowing warmth burst in his chest. The image of Eraserhead standing alongside him as he graduated from UA's hero course flashed through his mind.

Would he grin at him like that too? Would he give him another pat on the head? Would he still call him 'kid'?

Would he be proud of him?

"Now get out." Aizawa jutted his chin towards the direction of the open window. "And don't break curfew again. I'll give you a week's worth of detention if you do."

Shinso nodded wordlessly as he hopped up the window sill, giving the underground hero one last glance. "Take care of yourself, sensei."

Aizawa let out a long, slow breath. "Toshi, stop worrying about me and go to bed."

"I said I'm not worried!" Shinso insisted before he leaped out onto the yard, not allowing his mentor to get another word in.

Aizawa chuckled as he watched the back of his favorite student disappear in the distance. He ran a hand through his face, shaking his head in disbelief. That kid reminded him so much of his younger self it was borderline creepy.

They had the same dead look in their eyes, wild untamable hair, a quiet unapproachable countenance… and to make matters worse, they even had similar mannerisms. It took him quite a while to finally accept the fact that they were unmistakably identical in so many ways. He blinked. Perhaps that was why people easily believed that they were related? He sighed in resignation.

The idea of being a father never really appealed to him. It was too much work. It was hard enough trying to balance being a professor and taking on pro hero jobs. He could barely even spare six hours in a day for sleep. But after taking Toshi and Eri under his wing… He sighed again.

Perhaps it wasn't so bad being a dad.

"Look! Look! Shota-san, look at this!"

Shinso watched as Eri flailed the teaser wand, making the tabby chase after the tail end made of feathers. He turned his gaze towards Eraserhead who was chuckling as he watched her play with the chubby cat. When the feline finally had enough of the game, it walked away soundlessly, making Eri pout in disappointment.

"It went away…"

Aizawa looked around the café, eying the rest of the cats lounging around lazily. "It probably got tired. Maybe it wanted a nap."

Eri continued to sulk, flopping down onto the underground hero's lap as she crossed her arms. "But I still wanted to play."

"They'll come around eventually." Aizawa dropped a hand over her head.

Shinso watched as Eri turned to wrap her arms around Eraserhead's torso, hearing the older man let out a huff at the sudden movement. He looked on silently as his mentor sighed in resignation; the little girl making herself more at home on his lap. He brought his gaze back down on the book in his hand, still stuck on the first page.

Now that spring break was here, Aizawa-sensei was no longer as busy. That meant they could spend more time improving his technique and mastery of the cloth binds. Today was supposed to be an exercise on maneuvering through the streets using the weapon. He'd gotten so much better at it, and had been looking forward to showing off his new set of skills. Unfortunately, Midnight-sensei, who was Eri's assigned babysitter for the day, had been called on by the hero association early this morning. He clicked his tongue.

Why did they always have to call heroes last minute?

Aizawa-sensei had no choice but to cancel training, offering to treat him to a meal instead. He wanted to turn down the invitation, thinking that the older man could probably use some rest in his own home; but when he heard they would be dropping by the cat café again, he couldn't say no. He sighed.

Shinso would never admit it out loud, but he absolutely loved spending time with the underground hero outside of school and training. They wouldn't talk much, but when they did, it was always… memorable. They would sit in silence most of the time, but it didn't feel suffocating. It was actually… comforting.

"Shota-san, did you forget to comb your hair again?"

Shinso watched as Eri jumped off the UA professor's lap, standing behind him to run her fingers through his hair. "Where's your hair tie?" He heard her ask over the older man's shoulder.

"Don't have it." Aizawa replied, shrugging at the little girl's efforts to make him look more presentable. He didn't understand why she always fussed about how he looked.

Shinso watched Eri take a thin pink pony tail out of the shoulder bag she carried, carefully scooping Eraserhead's hair in her tiny hands as she threaded them through the elastic band.

"There!" Eri smiled, moving to stand in front of her guardian to check his appearance. "Now you look so cool!" She beamed at him.

Aizawa looked away, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. He let out a noncommittal sound, never really knowing how to respond to any of the little girl's praises.

Shinso watched as Eri pulled Aizawa up to stand so they could head towards the other group of cats on the opposite side of the room. He saw his mentor drop down slowly onto a cushion, crossing his legs underneath him as the little girl jumped on his back, threading her arms around his neck.

"That one looks like you, Shota-san!" Eri giggled, pointing at the pure black cat that was giving them a tired, uninterested glance.

Aizawa reached his palm out, encouraging the anti-social animal to come over, only to have it snap its head to one side, strolling back into its box by the corner of the room.

Eri hummed thoughtfully at the exchange. "It's not very nice, is it?"

"That's how cats are. They're very honest." Aizawa shrugged, turning his head to one side to eye the little girl still draped over his back. "If they like you, they'll show you. If they don't, they won't bother." He reached a hand up over her intertwined ones across his chest. "They don't get attached easily, and they're very independent."

Shinso continued to watch their exchange, noticing how much their interactions have turned into that of a father and a daughter over the course of a year. He sighed, growing steadily annoyed with himself for being… jealous. He knew it was completely irrational to feel that way towards the little girl, but she was just so upfront with her affections, and the underground hero never seemed to mind. He blinked, wondering what would happen if he also– He shook his head.

Nope. He would not go there.

Aizawa-sensei was his mentor, not his dad. The worse thing he could do was ruin their dynamic because he was stupid enough to let his personal feelings get in the way of his professional life.

Shinso brought his attention back to his book, irked that he was still just on the third page. He couldn't even remember what the first two had been about. He gave up, flipping it shut as he ran a hand over his face. He stuffed it in his bag with half a mind to leave, when he caught sight of Eraserhead eying him from the other end of the room.

He watched the older man raise his brows at him, waiting for some sort of response to his unspoken question. He shook his head at him, turning his attention back to the cat by his leg that was slowly waking up from its slumber. He could still feel Aizawa-sensei's gaze on him, but he pretended not to notice.

Shinso sighed for the umpteenth time that day, eying the sleeping little girl in his mentor's arms as they walked through the streets.

"Everything alright?"

Shinso turned his gaze towards Eraserhead, feeling oddly exposed under his appraising glance. He nodded wordlessly, earning an exasperated sigh from the underground hero.

"Sorry about today." Aizawa eyed the younger boy quietly walking alongside him. "I know you're disappointed we weren't able to–"

"It's fine, sensei. It wasn't something under your control." Shinso shrugged, tucking his hands inside the pocket of his jeans.

Aizawa sighed again, knowing full well that Shinso felt somewhat upset over the unexpected change of plans. What he didn't understand though, was his protégé's tendency to always bury his sentiments. "Toshi." He called out, stopping in his tracks, making the purple-haired boy look up at him in surprise. "If something upsets you, it's okay to say it."

"I'm not upset." Shinso insisted, never understanding why Aizawa-sensei would always push him to just… express himself.

What would admitting to anything achieve anyway? Saying out loud that he was frustrated with the day's outcome wouldn't change anything. It would just create unnecessary conflict when it was nobody's fault to begin with. Besides, he was used to this kind of predicament. His mom would always cancel plans last minute because of work engagements, so he knew how to deal with it.

Aizawa felt Eri slowly slipping off his shoulder. He tilted his head to one side, nudging her closer to the curve of his neck before turning his gaze back to Shinso. "I called Hizashi. He's free to look after Eri tomorrow." He paused when he saw the younger boy snap his head towards him; eyes wide and expectant. He fought back a grin. No matter how dishonest his protégé was when it came to his feelings, his face always gave him away.

"We can train tomorrow."

Shinso looked away, nodding his affirmation, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly to try and snuff the strange desire to jump in the air.

Aizawa watched as Shinso walked away, heading towards the sleek black car that stopped right next to them on the side of the road. A chauffer stepped out, nodding towards them as he pulled the door open.

Shinso paused by the vehicle, turning back to look at Eraserhead. "Let's get you home, sensei." He tilted his head towards Eri's sleeping form. "It would be difficult for you to commute with her in your arms."

"My house is in the opposite–"

"It's fine." Shinso insisted, moving away from the open car door, gesturing towards it to urge his mentor to get in before him.

Aizawa sighed, nodding his thanks – first at Shinso, then at the smiling chauffer. He knew the purple-haired boy wouldn't take no for an answer.

Shinso watched as Aizawa-sensei and Eri stepped out of the car; his chauffer bowing at them as he held the door open. Eri had woken up at some point during the ride, and ended up playing with the sunroof of the car. He sighed. The day went by quicker than he realized.

"Thanks for the ride." Aizawa called out, tilting his head down to eye the purple-haired boy sitting quietly on the leather-covered upholstery.

"You’re welcome, sensei."

Aizawa eyed the younger boy in silence. He could tell something was still bothering him, but if he really wasn't going to say anything, then he wouldn't pry. "Take care, then." A nod was all he got as a reply.

Shinso watched as the chauffer shut the door, moving back to the driver's seat as Eri and Eraserhead began to head towards the front door. They looked every bit the picture of a father and a daughter. He sighed. Eri sure was lucky. It must be nice–

He stopped that train of thought, tearing his eyes away from the scene. He ran a hand through his face repeatedly, annoyed with himself. Eraserhead was his mentor, not his dad for crying out loud. He seriously needed to keep his feelings in check.

A loud scream brought his attention back to the window, seeing the little girl running towards the vehicle in panic. "Toshi-nii!" She knocked her fisted hands against it urgently. "Toshi-onii-chan, I forgot something!"

Shinso unlocked the car slowly, careful not to hit her as she moved away from the swinging door. "What is it, Eri?"

"Hug!" She exclaimed out loud, grinning at him widely. She had her arms stretched open towards him, marching in place as she waited.

In that moment, Shinso never hated himself so much.

He stepped out of the car, bending down on one knee to hug Eri against his chest, gently tapping his fingers against her back.

How could he have allowed himself to feel so bitter towards her?

"I'll see you around." He pulled back, watching the little girl tilt her head to one side, making the strands of her hair brush against the horn on her forehead.

"You're not gonna hug Shota-san?"

Shinso blinked, eying Aizawa's equally stunned form standing a few paces away.

"Shota-san!" Eri called out loud as she turned around to grin at Eraserhead, pointing squarely towards Shinso's face. "Hug!"

Aizawa sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at the little girl exasperatedly. "Eri, I don't think he would want–"

"Let's get this over with, then."

The mirror image of his protégé rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked away made Aizawa blink. He brought his hand down to his side immediately. They were so in sync it wasn't even funny.

Shinso walked towards Aizawa, eying the ground the entire time, not able to bring himself to scrutinize the expression on his mentor's face. "I mean, Eri said we should so…" He paused to finally look up at the underground hero tentatively, bringing his hand down as he shrugged his shoulders. "But if you don't want–"

Shinso felt a hand reach for the back of his head, pulling him in gingerly. He felt his forehead collide with his mentor's chest; fingers moving over his hair, patting him softly. He blinked several times, trying to hold in the sudden influx of emotions he couldn't quite label.

Could he… hug him back?

Would that be okay?

Shinso brought both his arms around Eraserhead little by little, scared that any sudden movements would ruin the moment. When the underground hero made no protest, he closed his eyes, pressing the side of his face against his torso. An arm encircled his shoulders, pulling him further into the warmth that made him feel so unbelievably safe. He squeezed tighter, holding onto the reassuring presence as if his life depended on it.

'Thank you so much', he wanted to say. If it hadn't been for the man before him, his dream of becoming a hero never would have been possible. 'I won't take any of this for granted', he wanted to add. He knew he was lucky. Out of everyone Aizawa-sensei could have picked, it ended up being him. He didn't understand what the older man saw in him, and why he bothered with him at all; but he would die before he'd let himself waste this once in a lifetime opportunity.

I won't disappoint you.

Aizawa pressed the side of his chin against his protégé's head, closing his eyes as he continued to tap a hand over his hair. He felt the younger boy tighten his hold against him further, not wanting to let go.

'You've worked hard', he wanted to say. He wasn't a lenient teacher. He didn't coddle Shinso, and he wasn't the type to spoon-feed him answers either. Training was always hard, but the purple-haired boy never gave up. 'You did well', he wanted to add. Not once did he hear the younger boy complain about anything. He would take whatever challenge was given to him, accomplishing it no matter the difficulty.

Aizawa never really understood why Shinso would go so far for his childhood dream, but he would die before he would allow such a promising kid to be labeled unworthy of being a hero just because he didn't fit the mold. The kid was every bit deserving of that title.

I'm proud of you.

Shinso didn't want to pull away. He wanted to stay a bit longer. Just a few more seconds. He just…

He just never wanted this moment to end.

"Take care on the way home, kid."

Shinso felt Aizawa move slightly, releasing him from the hug. He nodded awkwardly, unable to look him in the eye. He could tell the corners of his eyes were moist; unable to comprehend why he had been so close to crying.

Shinso turned around, walking towards the little girl who was still smiling at him. He patted her on the head in silent gratitude. Thank you, he stopped himself from saying.

"Hm!" Eri nodded her head at him, as if she heard the thought out loud. "Shota-san gives the best hugs!"

Shinso failed to fight the smile that formed on his lips. Yes. Aizawa-sensei's hugs were the best.

He made his way back to the car, rolling down the window to give them one more wave of goodbye as the vehicle moved away. He looked on as they went inside, closing the front door behind them. He turned around on his seat, still eying the cozy house that grew smaller until it was nowhere to be seen. He sighed.

Shinso never knew his dad. His mom told him he passed away from an illness back when he was just three years old. He's seen pictures of him, and he's visited his grave during special occasions; but the concept of what a father was had always been abstract to him.

Until now.

He sighed again, no longer able to deny that the image of Eraserhead was all he could think of at the mention of that word.

Shinso sighed for the umpteenth time, tired of all the incessant questions. When he’d been called down to the common area for an emergency meeting, he expected something urgent and troubling. So when he was asked to sit down on a chair surrounded by the rest of class 2A, he expected the worst.

“Do you think sensei would appreciate party poppers?”

“What kind of gift should we give him?”

“Sato says he can take care of the cake, so what flavor does Aizawa-sensei like?”

“What’s his favorite cuisine?”

“I think we should do a surprise! Like… villains suddenly infiltrated our dorms and sensei has to come in and save us!”

All sets of eyes turned towards the blonde pikachu beaming at his idea, not quite registering the look of utter disbelief from everyone in the room.

“Are you serious?” It was Ashido who broke the silence.

“Do you want sensei to kill us?” Jiro folded her arms across her chest, clicking her tongue at the electricity user’s dense nature.

“You know, it might actually work." Sero stroked his pointy chin, humming in approval. "If we’re really going to go for a surprise party.”

“Isn’t it a bit… morbid?” Kirishima winced. Sure it’s been more than a year since the USJ incident, but a campus security breech still seemed a bit too extreme for a prank. Eraserhead nearly lost his life trying to save all of them after all.

“What do you think, Shinso?”

Shinso eyed Midoriya’s inquisitive glance, feeling the rest of his classmates turn to shift their attention towards him as well.

“Do you think Aizawa-sensei would appreciate a surprise party?” The green-haired boy asked further, waiting patiently for a reply.

Shinso sighed tiredly, confused as to why they were looking for his approval about everything. He was their former homeroom teacher. They saw him almost every day throughout the entirety of their freshmen year. Shouldn’t they know him better than he did?

“Quite frankly, no.” He replied curtly, not feeling the need to explain further. Eraserhead was a very private person. Despite his sloppy look and the perpetually relaxed, borderline groggy countenance he always seemed to have, he was every bit meticulous when it came to his work and routine.

He’s never seen the older man caught off guard, but in the small instances something hadn’t gone according to plan, slivers of annoyance slipped through the underground hero’s façade that would generally have gone unnoticed under an untrained eye.

Aizawa Shouta was a man of schedules. He disliked doing anything spontaneous, unlike his self-proclaimed best friend who would randomly barge in on their training sessions, inviting them out to eat.

Shinso sighed. At first, he didn’t exactly understand how on earth they got along based on the stark difference in their personalities. But the more he saw them interact, the more it made sense.

The loudmouth blonde talked enough for the both of them, and was insistent enough that it made someone as stoic and stubborn as Eraserhead just throw his hands up in the air and… give in. It was an interesting dynamic.

“So… no party?” Came Aoyama’s disgruntled clarification, scanning the room for someone who would push for it.

“But wouldn’t it be cool if we’d be the ones to throw Aizawa-sensei’s first ever surprise birthday party?”

Everyone turned their attention towards Kaminari, who simply shrugged as he eyed the rest of them casually. “Think about. It’d at least be unforgettable for sensei.” He grinned, feeling more confident as he watched the rest of them start to reconsider the idea.

“Damn. Kaminari actually made sense.” Jiro blinked, stunned by the unexpected development, much to the agreement of everyone in the room.

“Are fucking pigs gonna start to fly?”

Shinso glanced at the spiky-haired hothead, secretly surprised that he bothered to join in on the meeting. Bakugo was always so detached whenever it came to group gatherings that it made him wonder just what Eraserhead was to the explosive boy. He obviously held the older man in a different regard compared to other adults. As for why, Shinso had yet to find out.

Kaminari pointed at the other sneering blonde, grumbling at the insult. “What?! Just admit it’s a good idea!”

“For once, Kaminari actually has a valid point.”

“Agreed.”

Kaminari huffed at the exchange he overhead from Tokoyami and Shoji, bristling at the backhanded compliment. He mumbled his complaints, sitting back down the couch.

“So, we’re a go?” Aoyama eyed the rest of his classmates, receiving a mix of nods and shrugs. He smirked, silently happy he had an excuse to wear the new pants he bought last week. It was covered in colorful sequins, mimicking the way a rainbow would shine just right after a relentless rainstorm. He sighed wistfully, already imagining how wonderfully picturesque it would make him look.

“What gift do you think Aizawa-sensei would appreciate?”

Shinso turned towards Tsuyu, allowing himself a few moments to think of a good answer.

“Hair accessories!” Ashido suggested, gushing at the mental image of the underground hero with his hair up and away from his handsome face. It was like seeing him in a completely new light, just like that time he wore his hair in a half bun, clean-faced, and wearing a perfectly tailored suit. She sighed. Now if only someone in his class could get kidnapped again so he would go all out and dress up for another press conference!

“Oh!” It was Hagakure who chimed in this time. “We can get him some hair products too!” She jumped in the air; the bobbing of floating clothing the only evidence of the movement. “Some smoothening cream, definitely some mousse and gloss… and let’s not forget hair spray!”

“Some styling gel could help too.” Ojiro added; his arms folded on his chest looking deep in thought. “Or a hair dryer.”

Shino watched a few more of his classmates start to chime in, apparently quite interested in seeing the underground hero with his hair styled. He hummed to himself, fighting the grin that itched to crawl up his face. Apparently Eraserhead was quite popular. He filed that information in his head, thinking of a way to bring it up the next time he saw the older man.

“How about a cat?”

All eyes zoned in on the top student in class who finally decided to break his silence.

“I’ve seen him more than a few times feeding the strays on campus.” Todoroki shrugged, unbothered by the sheer amount of attention on him. “He seems to like cats.”

“He already has one.” Shinso interjected, eying the half and half boy oddly. Who would gift a pet to someone they barely even knew?

“A playmate then.” Todoroki persisted, oblivious to the purple-haired boy’s quiet disbelief.

Shinso used to think Todoroki was brazen and rude, but the longer he interacted with the fire and ice quirk holder, the more he realized the smaller man was just… clueless. So utterly oblivious that it was absolutely astounding.

“Um… It’s not exactly a good present for someone you aren’t close with, Todoroki.” It was Uraraka who bothered to explain. “Pets can be very tricky. There’s a lot to consider when getting one. Would it get along with sensei? How about with the cat he already has?” She paused, noticing the look of understanding on his face. “So it’s better if we stick to something that has a high chance of success.” She smiled at the nod of acknowledgement she got in return.

“I know! How about workout stuff?” Kirishima suggested, blatantly proud of the idea. “We could give him something he could use at home.”

“He has a mini gym in his house.” Shinso shot him down matter-of-factly, earning a look from almost everyone in the room.

“You’ve been to sensei’s house?!” Kaminari inserted himself back to the discussion; his incredulity getting the better of him.

Shinso nodded, feeling himself grow steadily uncomfortable at the disgruntled looks he was getting from the rest of his classmates. “What?”

“Ugh, how come you get to see sensei’s house?”

“Shinso, you’re so lucky!”

“How does it look like?”

“What’s his exact address?”

“I wanna go see his house too!”

Shinso swallowed awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. It wasn’t like he invited himself there. Sometimes they would discuss tactics and strategy formation in his study, watching videos and reviewing old hero cases.

When the rest of 2A started getting sidetracked, speculating what Eraserhead’s house looked like, Iida redirected everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand, shifting his gaze towards Shinso when everyone finally quieted down.

“So what does Aizawa-sensei like?”

Shinso folded his arms across his chest; his deadpan tone cutting through the silence like a knife. “He likes… cats, sleeping, and jelly snacks.” He concluded, shrugging at the disappointed looks he got.

“How about we just buy him a lot of jelly snacks?” Uraraka grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of her head in uncertainty. She knew her suggestion was completely uninspired and just plain boring, but somehow it made sense. “Sensei seems like the practical type.” She shrugged. “He would probably appreciate something-”

Bakugo snorted, obviously opposed to the idea. “Sure, give the guy a birthday gift he could buy in a damn vending machine.”

Uraraka bristled at the unnecessary quip, folding her arms on her chest as she glared at him unfazed. “I haven’t heard you make any suggestions.”

Shinso felt the air in the room change, watching the two sophomores stare at each other in a silent battle of wills. For some reason, most of which Shinso always seemed to forget, they never failed to argue over… anything really. The exchanges the rest of class made during their standoffs always referenced the sports festival match they had during freshman year. They’ve apparently been steadily growing at odds with each other since then.

“A smart watch.” Bakugo finally answered in a bored, snobby tone that only someone like him could pull off. “He can synch it with his phone, making it easier to access notifications during hero work.”

Shinso considered getting the underground hero that particular gadget, but he knew the older man didn’t care for accessories. He’s never seen him wear anything on his person, regardless of the occasion.

“That’s too expensive!” Uraraka countered, rolling her eyes at the blonde’s blatant lack of consideration for the rest of them.

“There’s twenty of us!” Bakugo continued to argue, whipping his hand towards everyone in the room to emphasize his point. “It’s not that fucking expensive if we all split it!” He folded his arms on his chest, standing his ground.

“Not everyone here is a trust fund kid.” Uraraka shook her head, not willing to back down from the argument either.

Shinso scanned the room, wondering why no one bothered to interfere with the fight happening right in front of them. He saw a combination of exasperated sighs, sly grins, and knowing looks from the rest of class 2A. His eyebrows rose in understanding, shifting his gaze back at forth between the two quarreling students, finally getting what the tension was probably all about.

“What do you think, eye bags?!”

Shinso glared back at annoying blonde who never seemed to bother with his name. “Dunno, sparky.” He retaliated in a cool, detached way that always seemed to get on the other boy’s nerves. If he wasn’t going to show him some respect, why should he?

Midoriya was in the middle of all three of them, raising his hands up to quiet the growing discord. “Uh… Let’s all just take a deep breath-”

“Shut up, Deku!” Bakugo screamed in annoyance.

“You shut up!” It was Uraraka who stepped in this time.

“Guys! None of this is helping!” Kirishima wedged himself between all of them, urging Bakugo to head back to his seat. It seemed the loudmouth blonde hadn’t even noticed he actually crossed the entire room just to argue with the gravity quirk user. He clicked his tongue at Kirishima, but stalked back to his chair nonetheless.

Midoriya seemed to have calmed Uraraka down as well, with Iida and Momo immediately moving towards the center to properly facilitate the rest of the meeting.

“Bakugo has made a good suggestion, and Uraraka has also pointed out a very valid argument.” Iida began, shifting his gaze back to purple-haired boy. “What do you think?”

Shinso exhaled slowly, feeling gradually irked by their need to always reference everything by him. “Sensei doesn’t use accessories.”

“Ha.” Came Uraraka’s gloating. It was quiet enough not to disrupt the discussion, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Got something to say, round face?!”

“Bakugo…” Kirishima sighed out loud.

“Guys, please!” Ashido rolled her eyes, blatantly tired of their posturing. Their bickering was generally funny to watch, but it was getting late and they haven’t made any progress at all.

“How about a sleeping bag?” Kaminari interjected, moving everything back on track, making the rest of the class sigh in gratitude. “Sensei seems to only have one. The yellow one?” He looked around for agreement. “Maybe we can get him another one?”

Shinso silently panicked at the suggestion. That was his gift! There was no way would he let the entire class give Aizawa-sensei the exact same present he was giving him. “Sensei has several.” He lied smoothly, tone unbothered and clinical. “They’re just all yellow.” He shrugged, feeling himself relax when a collective sigh of dejection resounded in the room.

“How about a new pair of goggles? His current ones are hideous!”

Shinso glared at the flamboyant blonde, utterly scandalized by his blasphemous claim. How dare Aoyama call out the underground hero’s aesthetic taste? Change Eraserhead’s signature look?! Had he gone mad?!

“I don’t think sensei would like that.” Tsuyu spoke out what everyone else had been thinking. “How would you feel if somebody gifted you a new cape for you birthday?”

Aoyama visibly shuddered at the idea. His beautiful glittering cape was perfect the way it was thank you very much!

“How about school supplies?” Shoji proposed, unaffected by the negative looks he got from most of the people in the room. “I agree with Uraraka. Sensei seems like a practical man. It may not be exciting, but at least we’re sure it’ll be of use to him.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate something he can actually make use of.” Ojiro nodded, with Tokoyami and Koda following suit.

“But… That’s so boring!” Ashido whined. “How about we get him some clothes? Eri insinuated he dressed differently outside of work!” Her eyes gleamed at the possibilities. “How about a leather jacket? Wouldn’t it be cool to see sensei in one?”

Mixed responses were garnered from the rest of the class.

“How about we just get him a vacation?”

All eyes were on Momo; the entire room instantly brightening at her recommendation.

“That’s it!”

“Momo you’re a genius!”

“Does sensei even take vacations?”

“Which is why it’s perfect!”

“Where do you think we should send him?”

Shinso had thought of that too, but he knew Aizawa-sensei too well. The underground hero’s idea of a vacation was a nap at home, alone and unbothered. He shook his head. He wished the older man would take a leave of absence every once in a while. He overworked himself way too much, and didn’t seem to mind that at all.

“How about a coupon for a weekend trip over to a hot spring?” Midoriya chimed in, eying everyone’s reactions. “Sensei doesn’t seem like the type who likes to go on long vacations.” He shrugged. “Maybe he’d be more inclined to if it’s just a short out of town trip.”

Momo shut her mouth immediately, just about to blurt out the name of a hotel in Hawaii she absolutely adored. She sighed out loud in relief at having been able to catch herself, recalling Bakugo and Uraraka’s earlier argument about staying within everyone’s budget.

“But wouldn’t it be lonely if sensei went to the hot springs alone?” Kaminari asked, genuinely curious.

Everyone looked at him, surprised by his consideration. He was seriously on a roll today! Did he eat something weird?

“Maybe we can give him two vouchers so he can bring someone else?” Iida added, pausing just before he could ask his next question. Who would Aizawa-sensei take with him? Or better yet, did he even have someone he could actually bring?

“Shinso!” Kaminari called out, bringing everyone’s attention back to the purple-hair boy once again. “Is sensei seeing anyone?” The grin on his face, and the glint in his eye spoke volumes about his excitement. It wasn’t every day they would hear personal anecdotes about their former homeroom teacher after all.

“Not that I know of.” Shinso answered briefly, earning him disappointed looks and disgruntled snorts. A vacation didn’t seem like such a wise choice anymore. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Why were they taking it out on him? It was the truth. The underground hero never so much as hinted towards anyone when it came to that respect.

Shinso had his suspicions, of course. There was Miss Joke, Present Mic, and for some reason, Midnight made his list. There was that one time he’d seen the older man out with Hawks, too. He also considered that detective from the police station. But none of them seemed to fit. He blinked.

There was that one conversation they had though, about a friend the older man used to have. It was a lecture about the difference between heroism and recklessness. Said friend had always been eager to save people beyond his capacity, and had perished as a consequence.

Aizawa-sensei was generally indifferent, and always looked like everything he had to do was some sort of chore; but the whole time he spoke of that friend of his, there was a quiet sadness to him – a wistfulness Shinso’s never seen in him before. Perhaps he’d been…?

He shook his head. It wasn’t polite to pry, or assume things he had no proof of, but damn if he wasn’t curious.

Everyone eventually settled on an assortment of hair accessories, jelly snacks, and school supplies.

Shinso wanted to laugh. The rest of his classmates looked undeniably disappointed with the conclusion, but they had no idea how much Aizawa-sensei would probably appreciate those as gifts.

“SURPRISE!!!”

Aizawa looked around, utterly confused and disoriented. He just busted through one of the windows of the class 2A dormitory, readying himself for any sort of ambush, when he was met with the lights, party poppers, and a cake lit with several candles.

“What the hell…” He pulled down the yellow goggles off his eyes, narrowing his gaze at the scattered balloons and streamers all over the common room.

His gaze went from the grinning students, then ultimately to the three other professors in the room. When he heard Hizashi, Kayama, and All Might’s voices from outside the building fighting passionately, he barged in without a second thought, prepared to face any and all consequences.

So what the fuck was he looking at exactly?

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOTA!” Came Mic’s booming voice, forcing the rest of them to cover their ears. It seemed his excitement accidentally activated his quirk.

Kaminari rushed to his side, holding a beautifully done strawberry shortcake, care of Sato. “Sensei! Make a wish!” He looked down at the trick candles in excitement, snickering to himself at the image of the nonchalant professor slowly growing aggravated at the continuous relighting of the wick.

That was all Aizawa needed to put all the pieces together. The dagger in the holster against his hip was out, cutting off the flames in the next second.

Kaminari blinked in stunned surprise; eyes not quick enough to notice just what happened exactly. The image of the underground hero standing right in front of him with a very sharp looking knife made him move away slowly, inch by inch; scared that any sudden movements would cost him an eye. Or two.

Present Mic was hanging against the chandelier in the next second; cloth binds incapacitating him like a mummy.

“Mic-sensei!” The rest of 2A stared at the upside down sound hero in panic; telltale signs of erasure notable with the way their former homeroom teacher’s hair floated above him.

He had his reproachful gaze on the two other professors in the room, who now had their hands up in silent surrender. Not only did they leak his actual birth date to the students, but they also had the gall to reprogram one of the bots to inform him of a supposed break in at UA. He clicked his tongue at the sheer level of their irresponsibility.

He was surrounded by a bunch of idiots.

Yamada continued to mutter unintelligible words as he fought against the cloth binds that only freed one eye. He was growing steadily lightheaded at the sudden rush of blood to his brain.

“Explain.” Came Aizawa’s livid tone; eyes scanning quickly through everyone in the room.

Kaminari felt his blood grow cold when the underground hero’s red-rimmed eyes landed on him. Perhaps it was the panic, or maybe just a strong sense of self-preservation, but the words were out of his mouth before he could even process what they meant exactly.

“It was Shinso’s idea!”

An insane amount of bloodlust enveloped the entire room.

Kaminari swallowed, feeling the back of his neck prick, knowing for a fact that the former general studies student was glaring death at him. He closed his eyes in mortification. Shinso was going to kill him!

Aizawa turned his gaze towards his enraged protégé; the incredulity of it all allowing him to calm down a little. There was no way he would ever spearhead something this ridiculous. He pulled against the cloth binds one more time, earning a pained yelp from Hizashi before deciding to let him go.

Kayama rolled her eyes, watching the students attempt to free Present Mic from the binds. She brought down her hands, placing a palm against the crook of her hip “Ease that stick up your ass, Eraser.”

Class 2A froze at Midnight’s incredibly inappropriate commentary. The only one stupid enough to laugh out loud was Bakugo, who immediately ended up silenced by the cloth binds. He quieted down at the sight of the underground hero’s floating hair and glowing red eyes. He grumbled the moment he was set free, not attempting to argue against the older man. He would never admit it out loud, but fighting quirkless against someone like Aizawa was a one way ticket to hell.

“Sempai.” Aizawa warned, glaring at the smirking woman staring at him defiantly. Her habit of messing with him hadn’t died down since their time in UA. What was with her and Miss Joke and their incessant desire to make him fall under the influence of their quirks?

“Aizawa-kun, the kids all worked hard to make this celebration a success.”

Aizawa watched All Might gesture towards the table full of food, surprised that most of them had been his favorites. There was only one person in the room who knew most of his habits. He glared back at Hizashi sitting by the couch, making the blonde raise his hands up in a gesture that would hopefully placate him.

“I’m sure the only wish they have is that you enjoy your birthday.” All Might finished, eyes imploring his colleague to reconsider his antagonism.

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal Thirteen and Nezu, with Eri right in front of them hurriedly stepping in. Her excitement was palpable, clutching a wrapped gift in her hands, rushing towards the only person in the room dressed in nothing but black.

“Shota-san! Happy happy birthday!” Eri bounced around Aizawa before pushing the sloppy looking present into his hands. “I wrapped it myself!”

Aizawa let out a tired sigh, shoulders drooping in begrudging acceptance.

Everyone glanced at the unknowing little girl who now held onto one of Eraserhead’s hands as she pulled him towards the food, secretly thankful for her timely appearance. If there was anyone capable of calming down the stoic pro hero, it was her.

Kaminari jumped in the air, pumping a fist up in delight. “Let’s get this party-!” A hand on his shoulder quieted him immediately. He swallowed awkwardly, braising himself for what was to come. He didn’t need to look behind him to know who it belonged to.

“Oi.”

“H-Hey, Shinso…” He turned around slowly, donning a nervous grin. He raised his hands in surrender, hoping to appease the incensed purple-haired boy looking down at him with a blank expression on his face. “In my defense, I figured sensei wouldn’t get mad if it’s you-”

“Sit in the living room in silence until the party is over.”

Kaminari’s posture immediately straightened up; arms dropping down to his sides limply. His glazed eyes darted towards the sofa; feet moving towards it with practiced ease as he sat against the upholstery, quiet and motionless.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at the scene, surprised to see his protégé so comfortable with using his quirk. It had taken him weeks, and a lot of prodding just to get the teenager to practice his quirk on him.

Shinso sighed the moment Midoriya started detailing how much he’s improved since the sports festival. He tuned the green-haired boy out, having heard enough about his analysis of brainwashed people’s motor control, facial expressions, and degree of submission. He shook his head at that last part. He labeled it ‘compliance’ in his own research. The way Midoriya worded it just seemed a bit… inappropriate to him.

Jiro shook her head at Kaminari’s frozen form, while Ashido simply tutted at him reproachfully.

“He never learns.” Tokoyami shrugged, walking away with Ojiro and Shoji right beside him, nodding their agreement.

Sero sighed out loud, not believing Kaminari’s audacity when it came to messing with Shinso. The dude could literally control minds! How had the blonde not learned a thing in the past couple of months? He lost count of the number of times the electricity user had been told to ‘sit and wait’ in the living room. He sighed. He should be grateful Shinso wasn’t a sadist. If Bakugo had his quirk- He shuddered, not allowing himself to finish that thought. He wasn’t particularly in the mood to go to a dark place.

Shinso glanced surreptitiously at the rest of his classmates, still not quite used to how… normal they reacted whenever he used his quirk. He wasn’t feared, shunned or ridiculed. He was just another student with a quirk different from their own. Nothing more, nothing less. He swallowed.

It made him feel… strange.

“Toshi.”

All eyes shifted towards Aizawa, before darting back at Shinso.

Midnight raised an eyebrow at the silent exchange. All her junior did was call out Shinso’s name, but there was strange kind of… authority to it. It wasn’t domineering, but it wasn’t nurturing either. It sounded almost like- She tilted her head in a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Aizawa sounded like an exasperated father, trying to reproach a misbehaving son. She hummed to herself. How interesting.

Shinso sighed out loud, severing his hold inside the loudmouth’s mind reluctantly. He walk away before the disoriented blonde could chase after him, complaining about the ‘unfairness’ of his quirk once again. He sighed.

Why couldn’t Kaminari understand that all he had to do was shut up?

Shinso stretched himself out on his bed, feeling exhausted after a full night of socialization. It wasn’t like he talked to anyone in particular, but just the fact that he was in a room full of boisterous people left him extremely bone tired.

The chime of his phone’s message alert tone made him sigh in annoyance. He left it in his school bag, hung against the back of his door. He pushed himself up, stomping his way to it, grumbling under his breath. He pulled it out brusquely, flopping himself back on the bed; finger moving towards the scanner to unlock it.

Shinso blinked at the notification dot next to his mentor’s name. He clicked on the chat box, groaning at the picture that met his gaze. It seemed his gifts had been delivered right on time.

He eyed all the items crammed in the shot, feeling mortified at what Aizawa-sensei must have thought of them.

A memory foam futon.

Four different types of yellow sleeping bags – each designed specifically for a particular season.

A sleeping eye mask with a built-in coolant made specially to soothe tired eyes.

An air humidifier with lavender essential oil bottles.

A huge ceiling to floor glass panel that mimicked waterfalls when plugged in; the sound serving as the perfect white noise to help with sleep. It even had customizable lightning, carrying various degrees of warmth, coolness and intensity.

Are you trying to reorganize my entire bedroom?

Shinso pressed the phone against his forehead, berating himself for choosing so many presents. He just couldn’t decide! He spent weeks trying to pick out what gift to give him, but the fact that he knew the older man could make use of all of them made him decide to just buy everything altogether.

Sorry.

He sent the single word, not knowing what else to say.

You’re wasting your mother’s money.

Shinso bristled at the scolding. That was all his – money he managed to save up from his allowance, from the generosity of other relatives, and from presents given by his mother’s colleagues and friends. He typed the rebuttal quickly, rereading it a few times before he allowed himself to send it.

Is that so?

He narrowed his eyes at the curt reply. He could practically hear the underground hero’s disbelieving, bored drawl in his ear.

Don’t waste money you worked hard to save on me.

Shinso rolled his eyes at the text, beginning to type his rebuttal when another set of messages came before he could send his response.

I didn’t even get you anything on your birthday.

I forgot.

Sorry.

Shinso blinked at the unexpected apology, but appreciated it nonetheless. He knew Aizawa-sensei had never been good at remembering dates. Present Mic barging in on their training session for an entire month prior to his own birthday was a testament to that. He chuckled.

Shota, it’s 17 days until my birthday! Got it? Oi! Don’t forget it again this year! You hear me?! Hey, are you listening?!

The reply Shinso penned next was the easiest he’d done in a while. He didn’t need to overthink it. The words just readily flowed right out of him.

You’ve already given me the best gift, sensei. One I can never repay.

You got me in the hero course.

He felt his ears grow hot at how cheesy it sounded. He scratched against his hair, annoyed with himself for not double checking the message. He glared at the screen, anxious over the underground hero’s answer.

YOU got yourself in. Stop passing the credit to me.

Shinso felt a familiar warmth in his chest as he read through the words.

You deserve to be where you are, kid. No doubt about it.

Shinso pursed his lips, blinking back the tears that unknowingly crept up on him. It was one thing knowing that he earned everything he had now, but it was another thing entirely when the person he idolized the most in the whole world reaffirmed that.

Thank you, sensei. 

That was all that Shinso could muster as a response. He swiped the back of his hand against his eyes, annoyed at himself for crying. He wasn’t a kid anymore damn it! No matter how many times Aizawa-sensei called him that.

Go to sleep.

And thanks.

For the gifts, I mean.

I appreciate them a lot.

Shinso smiled a little at the gratitude, raising an eyebrow at the bottom line that seemed to have been sent as an afterthought.

But don’t buy me any more stuff, you hear me?

He chuckled at the last minute reproach. Why was that was such an Aizawa Shota thing to do? He shook his head.

Good night, sensei.

"It's not anyone's fault that-"

"There's no way in hell we're sharing-"

"If everybody would just calm-"

"I can't believe we have to-"

"Is there really nothing we can-"

Shinso sighed for the umpteenth time, feeling his eye twitch at the scene before him. He made sure he would be at least half an hour late, hoping he could sneak out after making his attendance known; but when he saw the rest of them still stuck in the lobby of the 24-hour KTV restaurant way beyond the assigned time, he couldn't help but run a hand through his face.

It was absolute chaos!

He only needed a few seconds to figure out what the hell was going on. For some weird reason, the staff of the establishment ended up booking both class 2A and 2B into the same function room, mistakenly thinking that the two groups were joint. Now both classes were at an impasse – not wanting to celebrate Christmas together.

Shinso fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. KTVs in the area were a dime a dozen. How on earth did they end up booking the exact same place?

"What the hell makes you think we wanna hang out with you fucking losers?!"

"If I remember correctly, it was a member of class 2B who won this year's sports festival! Who's the loser now?!"

Shinso sighed. He could tell that majority of the mess had been caused by Bakugo and Monoma. The extent of their arguments eventually started pulling everyone in on the context of solidarity. He clicked his tongue. Why was it that whenever any form of conflict was occurring, blondes were always in the middle of it?

"Bakugo. Monoma."

"What?!" They echoed simultaneously, glaring at him for cutting off their-

"Quiet."

It was a simple, curt command addressed only to the both of them, but the effect it had on the rest of the group was instantaneous. Not even the music blasting through the surround sound speakers could dull the silence that suddenly enveloped the entire room.

Shinso turned his attention towards the staff of the KTV, asking a few routine questions. It turns out that the booked function room was big enough for both classes, and that there would be no issues regarding the food, and the agreed upon cost of their reservation.

Shinso scanned the rest of his peers, directing his attention towards the class representatives. He blinked, shifting his gaze between Iida and Kendo. "What do you guys think?"

"Well…" Kendo shrugged, eying the rest of class 2B with a questioning glance. "We have two choices really. We can head to the dorms and just have our end of the year slash Christmas celebration back there… Or we can share the room with class 2A and have a joint one here."

Iida nodded, folding his arms as he swept his eyes through the rest of class 2A as well. "Personally, despite things not being how we intended them to be, I don't see this being a big problem."

Shinso watched the rest of the group eventually start to agree to the joint celebration, albeit begrudgingly. Members of the staff started guiding them through the establishment, but not before throwing Shinso a grateful nod.

"Uh… So are we just gonna leave them here or…"

Everybody turned to look at Kaminari who was gesturing at the two silent blondes still standing in wait by the lobby.

Shinso let out a long, exasperated breath at what was to come next. He ignored the pats of encouragement and pity on his shoulder as the group left him alone to deal with the two frozen loudmouths. He clicked his tongue.

Why didn't he just stay at home?

Shinso could feel the beginning signs of a migraine coming. Ever since he released Bakugo and Monoma out of his hold, they wouldn't leave him alone.

"You fucking fight me, you hear me eye bags?! We're heading back to the training-"

Bakugo suddenly sat still, frozen and docile.

Monoma blinked out of the forced sleep, still completely disoriented as he scanned his surroundings. Had he been brainwashed again? He snapped his head towards the only purple-haired boy in the room; his gaze doubling back towards the other blonde sitting right beside him. He laughed out loud, completely forgetting his earlier displeasure towards Shinso.

"Serves you right, stupid!"

Monoma pointed at the meek looking hothead like it was the world's funniest joke. He slapped a hand against his thigh, pulling out his phone to take snaps of the monk-like Bakugo sitting passively on the sofa. "Hey guys!" He called out to everyone, urging them to come over for a photo.

"Everyone say 'dynamite'!" Kaminari joined in, taking a selfie with the rest of the group crowding around the blank-faced Bakugo.

"DYNAMITE!"

Kaminari burst out laughing at the photo, sending it to the chat group of class 2A. He knew for sure Bakugo never checked his mail so he was in the clear. If the spiky-haired blonde ever did decide to look, they would be well into winter break by that time, making it difficult to hunt him down.

"Hey, send me that!"

"Sure! Send me some of yours too!"

Monoma and Kaminari started laughing at the photos once again, wiping the tears out of their eyes at the hilarity of it all. It was almost impossible to get Bakugo to join in on a photo, even more so to take one of him without a scowl on his face. Seeing him with such an innocent expression was enough to keep them laughing for weeks!

Shinso closed his eyes, utterly tired not just because of the repeated use of his quirk, but also because of the booming noise coming from almost every corner of the room. He sighed. He needed a break.

Bakugo blinked out of his stupor, feeling his face go hot at the realization that he'd fallen under Shinso's control once again. He growled, swerving towards the transfer student, ready to yell his head off, only to see that the space beside him was now empty.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS EYE BAGS?!"

Shino bent down to pluck the can of black coffee out of the vending machine. He groaned. He didn't particularly enjoy preserved coffee, but it wasn't like he had a choice at the moment. He pulled at the aluminum key, sniffing the drink through the now opened hole. It was far from the scent of freshly ground beans, but it was enough to ease the throbbing against his temple. He took a small experimental sip, scrunching his face at the strange taste, but it would have to do.

Shinso tucked his free hand into the pocket of his bomber jacket, allowing himself another taste of the canned coffee. "Is there a reason you're following me?" He waited for his pursuer to step out of the shadows, watching him from the corner of his gaze. He let go of the folded knife in his grasp when his eyes landed on a familiar face. He pulled his hand out of his jacket casually, stuffing it into the pocket of his jeans instead.

"I didn't mean to seem like a stalker."

Shinso raised an eyebrow at the sheepish blonde standing in front of him. He blinked, swallowing down the groan of annoyance threatening to crawl out of his throat. Of course it had to be another blonde. "What do you want?"

Ojiro scratched the back of his head, not sure what to say exactly. He'd been meaning to talk to the general studies transfer student since the start of the school year, but for some reason, he just couldn't seem to find the right timing.

"I, uh… W-Well, what I want to say is…"

Shinso shifted his stance, facing the stuttering blonde head on. Ojiro had been one of the few people in his class who never bothered him. He could probably count in one hand all the exchanges they've had in the entire year. He could tell that the tailed boy wasn't particularly comfortable around him, but after what happened at last year's sports festival, who could blame him?

"I just- What I mean is…" Ojiro sighed out loud. Why was this so difficult? He chanced a glance at Shinso, fidgeting under the purple-haired boy's quiet discerning eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Shinso blinked once. Twice. "Huh?" He watched Ojiro fix his eyes on the floor; hand back to scratching the back of his head.

"I'm sorry about how I acted during last year's sport's festival." Ojiro felt the familiar pang of shame in his chest, still frustrated with his past behavior. "I… I made you seem like some sort of…" Villain, he stopped himself from saying. "…cheater." He decided on instead, forcing himself to look Shinso in the eye, grounding his resolve further.

"I'm sorry."

Shinso looked away, feeling incredibly awkward. He wasn't exactly sure what Ojiro wanted from him earlier, but he definitely didn't expect this. "It's fine." His hand was at the back of his neck, rubbing soothing patterns against his skin. "It's in the past."

Ojiro nodded, equally uncomfortable. "I just wanted to get it off my chest. It's just been bothering me ever since."

"It shouldn't." Shinso shook his head, throwing his half empty coffee can into the recycling bin next to him. "Your suspicion was warranted."

"No. It wasn't."

Shinso eyed the determined look on Ojiro's face, confused by his sudden obstinacy.

"Just because you weren't in the hero course, didn't mean you didn't want to be one. Just because you don't have a stereotypical hero quirk, doesn't mean you aren't hero material."

Shinso blinked, taken aback by Ojiro's words. He's only ever really heard them from Aizawa… and Kaminari during his transfer exam for the hero course.

I know you said you weren't interested in making friends and all that, but I like you, dude! You're a proper hero-hopeful like the rest of us!

"You made me realize that… there are so many different ways to be a hero." Ojiro shrugged, looking away sheepishly. "And that one way isn't necessarily better than another."

Shinso looked away, holding down the urge to rub against his nape once again. "It's fine." He pocketed his hands into his jacket, shrugging nonchalantly. "But… I appreciate the sentiment." He watched the blonde nod in response, directing a small smile right at him.

"So… I guess we can be friends now, huh?"

Shinso shifted his head back slightly, taken off guard by the sudden change in the discussion. He glanced at the hopeful look in the other boy's eyes, utterly confused by his statement. He let out a decisive breath, turning away to head back to the party.

"I'm not here to make friends."

Ojiro's brows rose all the way up to his forehead as he watched the purple-haired boy walk away. He hummed to himself, chuckling a bit as he shook his head.

Did Shinso not realize that he was surrounded by people who already considered him one?

"There he is!"

Shinso swallowed down a groan at the sight of Monoma and Kaminari pointing right at him from across the room, simultaneously announcing his arrival. They were standing on the KTV room's stage, each holding a microphone. He turned around to leave, but a hand landed against his shoulder before he could head out the door.

"Heads up, Bakugo ran out looking for you." Kirishima threw him an apologetic look, earning a tired glare from the purple-haired boy. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger!" He raised his palms up in the air.

"Come on, you're late!" Monoma was by his side, grabbing him by the elbow to drag him further into the room.

Shinso tried to pull himself out of the annoying blonde's grasp, only to feel another arm drape over his shoulder. He raised an irate eyebrow at Kaminari, feeling the smaller boy pull him down slightly to compensate for their height difference.

"Since Shinso is here, all we need is Bakugo!"

Shinso finally freed himself from their hold, eying the rest of the room disoriented. Everyone was seated around the leather couches, looking at them expectantly as they stood on the stage. "What the hell is going on?"

"They're trying to have a contest."

Shinso turned towards Kendo before scanning the rest of the males lined up alongside him. "What contest?"

"Who's the most popular guy in our year." Kendo shrugged offhandedly, done with having to reel in everyone's crazy antics. As much as she hated most of Monoma's ridiculous ideas, this one actually sounded entertaining.

Shinso narrowed his eyes at the sight of Tetsutestu, Todoroki, Kaibara, Iida, Monoma and Awase standing on stage with him. "Then why the hell am I a part of this?"

"Aoyama nominated you, and the rest of us voted you in!"

Shinso glanced at Ashido's grinning face before before darting his gaze towards Aoyama, glaring death at him. His disdain seemed to go over the blonde's head, completely unaffected.

"They said we could only nominate four people per class." Aoyama sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair before resting his chin between his opened palms. "I wanted to be in the running, but I realized that perhaps it was high time I gave others a chance. I mean-"

"So that's how you got in!" Ashido interjected, completely ignoring the rest of the flamboyant blonde's rambling.

"You're definitely better than Aoyama!" Hagakure raised an invisible hand in the air; the movement of her sleeve the only evidence of her waving hand.

"I think Deku should have made it too." Uraraka folded her arms across her chest, irked that Bakugo had been selected instead.

"Oh, no! It's totally fine! I mean, there's no way I could be popular!" Midoriya scratched the back of his head, laughing at the whole thing.

"I was actually supposed to be a part of it too, but in the spirit of Christmas, I decided to host instead!" Kaminari threw a thumbs up towards everyone.

"What are you talking about? No one nominated you." Jiro corrected, earning a glare from the blonde pikachu.

"Can't you just let me have my moment, Jiro?!"

Shinso shook his head at the absurdity of it all, moving to step off the stage, only to be stopped by a raised hand coming from Momo. She was standing by the steps, making a dry ice machine materialize out of her shins.

"What are you doing?" He looked at her weird.

"They said it would set the mood." She shrugged, lifting the edge of her shirt a bit to produce an electronic device that emitted varying shades of neon lights.

He scoffed. As if the entire karaoke room wasn't littered with enough lights already! He moved towards the front of the stage, just about to hop off when Tetsutetsu's hand landed on his shoulder. "What?"

"Come on, Shinso! Don't be so uptight!"

"Yeah, it's just a bit of fun." Kaibara shrugged, rubbing a finger against his nose.

"Not confident you'll win?" Awase had both his hands on his hips, leaning towards him with a superior look on his face.

Shinso glared back at the three class 2B boys, not bothering to glorify them with a response. He could tell they were enjoying the attention. He snorted. He didn't give a damn about popularity. "And you're both fine with this?" He shifted his gaze towards Iida and Todoroki.

"Everybody decided on it." Iida sighed. He thought the whole thing was pointless as well, but the voting process didn't lie. The majority always wins.

Todoroki shrugged, leaning against the wall with both arms crossed over his chest. "They said all we needed to do was stand on stage for a couple of minutes."

Shinso clicked his tongue at their lack of resistance. All they had to do was say no, and this whole thing would have gone away.

"I had no idea Shinso was so popular."

"Well he is kinda cute."

"He seems like a pretty cool guy too."

Tsuyu listened in on Kodai, Komori, and Tokage as they whispered to one another; turning her gaze towards Shinso to scan him from head to toe.

He was taller than most of the guys in their year, and if it weren't for the default tired look on his face, he could actually be attractive. She hummed to herself. Kaminari actually had a point when he said Shinso had the face of a popular guy.

He was quiet but not shy; smart but never arrogant. He was fair, decisive, and calculating. He was a hard worker with a talent for combat, and a natural affinity for leadership. He would always refuse positions of power, but he was unfairly good at them. So much so that the people in class would gravitate towards him during group activities, arguing over who gets to be in the same team as he was.

Tsuyu grinned at Shinso's discomfort, watching him argue with the rest of the boys on stage. He was always so calm and collected, looking unbothered no matter what the issue at hand was. So seeing him out of his element, aggravated and perplexed was definitely amusing.

"This is stupid." Shinso shook his head, pocketing a hand in his jacket. "The fact that he's here makes this whole fiasco even more unreliable."

Monoma felt his lips part, glaring at the thumb directed right at him. "Excuse me? I'll have you know that I am plenty popular! Just last week a pretty white-haired freshman asked-"

Shinso started walking away, but not before making sure Monoma would stay quiet long enough for him to get as far away from the KTV establishment as possible. No one else bothered to stop him anymore, knowing what fate would befall them if they tried.

"I have somewhere else I need to be." Shinso threw a glance at their class representative, nodding his goodbye.

"Oh, of course, Shinso. It's-"

The loud slam of a door cut Iida off.

"There you are, fucking eye bags!"

Shinso rolled his eyes, noticing the incensed blonde stomp towards him through the corner of his gaze; tiny explosions going off in his half fisted hands.

"I'm not falling for another one of your shitty tricks! I'm gonna beat you to a damn pulp!" Bakugo quieted down, glaring at him through narrowed bloodshot eyes.

Shinso didn't even need to think about what to say to get a reaction out of the loudmouth. "Is that so, sparky?"

"Shut the-"

Just like that, Bakugo was back under his control.

Shinso didn't know if he should laugh or shake his head. For someone who belonged to the list of top students in their class, Bakugo was seriously an idiot.

"Here we are, Master Hitoshi."

Shinso nodded his thanks, taking the large suitcase his chauffer offered to him in silence.

"I shall be back on the morning of the 26th to take you to the airport."

"No need, Jin. I'll take a taxi." Shinso raised a hand to silence any further protests. "It's the holidays. Go home to your family and don't come back until next year."

"Master Hitoshi, your mother-"

"I'll see you next year, Jin." Shinso reiterated with more resolve, throwing the middle-aged man a firm glance as he feigned an exasperated sigh. His eyes softened a little at the quiet grateful look his longtime chauffer sent him.

"Thank you, Master Hitoshi." Jin bowed reverently, smiling at the teenage boy who waved a hand at the gesture; the look of aggravation clear on his face.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" Shinso rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. It was weird having a much older person bow at him that way.

Jin chuckled at his young master's embarrassment, offering a smaller bow this time around. "Happy holidays, Master Hitoshi."

"Happy holidays, Jin."

Shinso watched the car pull away, nodding at the older man when he rolled down the windows to throw him one more wave of goodbye. When the vehicle was no longer in sight, he turned around to eye the familiar house he was standing in front of. He sighed.

When his mother told him she wouldn't be able to make it back in time for Christmas, he wasn't surprised. He was supposed to fly out to Paris to meet her today, but when she found out about his class's Christmas Party, she insisted he attend and moved his flight on the 26th of December. He shrugged it off, thinking a few days at home alone wasn't that big of a deal. That wasn't new. The fact that it was Christmas didn't even bother him at all.

His mother wanted some of the house employees to stay a bit longer, but he insisted they be allowed their leave. It was the holidays after all. They should be with family. What he didn't expect though, was what his mother decided on instead.

It's just for three days, honey! Aizawa-sensei said it's totally fine!

He groaned, standing by the front door, feeling completely awkward. He had given is mother a proper scolding when he found out that she pawned him off to Eraserhead on Christmas.

What was she thinking? The underground hero probably wanted some peace and quiet during the holidays. Now he had to look after–

"What are you doing standing outside in the snow?"

Shinso blinked, just now realizing that the door was open and Aizawa-sensei was standing right in front of him, eying him weirdly.

"Sensei." He bowed awkwardly. "Good evening."

Aizawa raised a brow at the overt politeness. This wasn't the younger boy's first visit to his home, so why was he acting so odd? "Come in." He stepped to one side, making space for him to pass.

Shinso politely took off his scarf, threading it carefully through the hanging rack against the wall. He peeled off the long puffy parka coat off his shoulders, making it pool a bit on the floor before hooking it over his hung scarf. He unzipped the fleece jacket that reached up until his knees, hanging it against a free hook. He took off his shoes, lining them up neatly by the shoe rack, leaving him in his bomber jacket, thick wool joggers, and fleece socks.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the strange discomfort he could feel off of his protégé as he stood quietly by the entry way, waiting for some sort of signal that it was okay to move.

"Toshi."

Shinso's eyes were on him in an instant. "Yes, sensei?"

Aizawa opened his mouth to call him out, but decided against it. He sighed. "Have you eaten?" He watched the purple-haired boy nod his answer, lifting a hand against the back of his neck.

"How was the party?"

Shinso glanced at the underground hero, feeling awkward under his scrutiny. He did this more often now – asking him about his day, about his classmates, how he was adapting to the course, how he was coping in the dorms. He sighed.

He kept telling himself it was just because Aizawa-sensei was a teacher. He just cared about his students. That was that. As for him, he was an investment. Eraserhead needed to at least make sure he wasn't wasting his efforts on a lost cause.

It definitely wasn't because the UA professor, in a way, kind of, sort of, saw him as a son. And it certainly wasn't because the older man, in a way, kind of, sort of, saw himself as his dad. He shook his head. It was ridiculous to even think that.

"It was… okay." Shinso allowed himself to answer. He felt Aizawa-sensei's eyes linger on him for a moment, no doubt trying to scrutinize if he was telling the truth. He looked away. The underground hero seemed to do that more too – reading between the lines, deciphering the hidden meaning behind his curt answers.

"Did you have fun?"

Shinso blinked at the unexpected question. "I…" He paused, surprised by the answer on his lips. "I did." He watched his mentor's eyes soften, reaching out a hand to ruffle the top of his nearly frozen hair.

"Good."

Aizawa stalked off, pointing a hand towards the stairs. "You can put your things in the guest room."

Shinso nodded, knowing exactly where it was. He's been in the pro hero's house more than a couple of times, but this was the first instance he was actually sleeping over. He's never really stayed the night. It felt like such a huge intrusion on his mentor's privacy. Besides, Aizawa-sensei already had Eri to take care of. He didn't want to add another burden on his hands.

"Ah. And about what came in the mail this morning."

Shinso froze mid step, holding onto his suitcase with a vice grip. Without responding, he hurriedly rushed up the stairs as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Toshi!" He heard Aizawa-sensei call out, but he was in the guest room in the next minute, locking the door before the older man could catch up. He knew Aizawa-sensei warned him not to buy any more gifts, but it was Christmas and he just…

He wanted to.

Aizawa ran a hand through his face, eying the stairs tiredly. He seriously needed to have another talk with that protégé of his. When the courier truck stopped by earlier, dropping three huge boxes in front of his house, he thought it was some sort of mistake. But when he saw the name of the sender, he could only pinch his nose in exasperation.

An electronic massage recliner.

An ergonomic work table and chair set.

A box full of colorful wooden blocks.

Eri was positively ecstatic at the gift, touched that the purple-haired boy knew she liked building. Aizawa wasn't surprised at all. Hitoshi was incredibly observant, and highly talented at reading people. The fact that he had an impressive memory helped as well.

"Shota-san! Shota-san!"

Aizawa paused at the foot of the stairs, turning to glance at Eri who was running towards him with his phone in her hand.

"It's Hizashi-san!"

Aizawa plucked the phone out of the little girl's grasp, placing an automatic hand over her head in thanks. "It's me."

"MERRY CHRISTMAS SHOTA!"

He pulled the phone a few inches away from his ear, groaning at the shrill of his longtime friend's voice. "Christmas eve is tomorrow night." He corrected in his usual deadpan tone.

"We're on the way, Eraser!"

"Better get your booze ready!"

Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a feeling they would crash his home once again this year. "There are children here."

"Oh right! Hitoshi's staying over too, huh?"

Aizawa hummed his agreement.

"What did you just say, Mic? There's another kid?!"

"Oh you should see him with this one too, Emi! I never thought I'd live to see the day Eraser acts like a dad!"

"No way!"

Aizawa felt his eye twitch at the sound of two boisterous laughs resounding through his phone. "Hizashi, you better not bring those two-"

"Ah! Wait, Nemuri! Shota's still-"

"See you in ten minutes!"

The line was dead before Aizawa could throw in a threat. He groaned. He needed to get more cloth binds. He knew it was Christmas, but perhaps three mummies hanging from his roof could pass off as left over Halloween decorations?

Shinso knew how much of an asshole he could be, but he always took pride over the fact that he was generally respectful towards people with authority. He was good at tempering his comebacks, schooling his expression, and giving just a bit of sass that it couldn’t technically be labeled as delinquency.

But as the night went on, he was so close to telling the two female pro heroes sitting right across from him to just shut the fuck up. They’ve been laughing straight for the past ten minutes, and they weren’t showing any signs of stopping.

It was the first time he’s met Miss Joke in person, only ever hearing about her through Mic-sensei and Aizawa-sensei’s conversations. He didn’t know why his mentor always seemed irritated whenever her name would be mentioned, but after just a few minutes of interacting with her, he understood.

“I… I seriously can’t believe it! He’s like a clone!”

“Didn’t I tell you, Emi? Hey Shinso, do that neck rubbing thing again!”

“The eyes! The stoic aura! The weary old man vibes! This is insane!”

“You haven’t even seen the kid in his hero costume! He’s a mini version I tell you!”

Shinso looked away, feeling a wave of embarrassment course through his veins like poison. He wasn’t trying to look like Eraserhead. It was just because of the cloth binds! The fact that half of his face was covered as well didn’t really match up because he wasn’t wearing goggles.

Okay, maybe the all black attire, in a way, kind of, sort of, made them look more similar. But he was gunning for a career as an underground hero, so a flashy costume wouldn’t do him any good. Black was the practical choice.

It certainly wasn’t because he used his mentor’s look as a guide. And it definitely wasn’t because he wanted people to instinctively connect them in some kind of way.

Shinso shifted his gaze towards Aizawa-sensei, seeing the older man’s eye twitch, no doubt nearing the end of his patience. When Present Mic called him down to join them, he had every intention of declining. But against a guy that someone like Eraserhead couldn’t even shake off, he didn’t stand a chance.

The sound of a shutter going off snapped him out of his thoughts, blinking at the two women huddled around a phone, already in tears from laughing too much. Did they just take a picture of him and Aizawa-sensei?

“My god I have to show this to everyone in the agency! They’re gonna go nuts!” Emi immediately created a backup copy just in case Eraserhead decided to break her phone. It definitely wouldn’t be the first time. It wasn’t her fault the underground hero always ended up looking absolutely hilarious in her shots! “Bet your old colleagues would love see this too, Aizawa!”

“Send me that! Our class is having a reunion after Christmas.” Nemuri paused in between giggles. “I’m dying to see everyone’s reactions!”

Shinso turned his gaze back towards his mentor, seeing what looked like a vein threatening to pop right against his temple. He swallowed. Never before had he seen the older man get so livid in such a sort amount of time. He glanced at the clock. It was barely fifteen minutes since their arrival.

“Hey, Shinso! Wanna hear stories about Eraser back when he was in UA?” Nemuri wagged her eyebrows, leaning in towards the wide-eyed teenager sitting right across her. She grinned at the poorly veiled interest on his face, no doubt curious about his mentor’s past.

“Sempai.” Came Aizawa’s warning tone. His arms were crossed against his chest; the beginning signs of erasure noticeable with the slight shifting of the ends of his hair.

“Oh! How about stories about him back when he still worked at the agency across from mine?” Emi chimed in, bumping shoulders with Nemuri as she leaned in towards Shinso as well.

“Fukukado.”

Shinso shifted his gaze towards Eraserhead, noticing the drop in the tone of his voice, making him sound more menacing and cold. He swallowed, feeling a steady build of apprehension growing in his chest. He could tell that the older man was trying to censor details about himself that he didn’t want him to know. As for why, he had no clue.

Aizawa-sensei rarely ever talked to him about his past. He wasn’t really the type to open up. In the few instances that he did, they were always curt and in relation to whatever topic he was trying to discuss or get across during training.

Whenever they would meet, everything was always about him – his quirk, his current combat performance, his grades, his strategic skills. He would be lying if he said he never thought of asking the older man about his life story, but a part of him felt like it was something that should be given to him freely – not something he could ask for or demand.

“When he was a sophomore, he caused quite a stir at the sports festival!” Nemuri began, completely ignoring the waves of disdain being thrown towards her direction. Sure her quirk never worked on Eraser, but in hand to hand combat, he’s never beaten her once. She grinned. His main weakness was that he never used dirty tactics during a spar.

“Oh look, he’s trying so hard not to look too interested!” Emi called out, pointing a finger right at Shinso’s face.

He looked away, feeling his face grow hot at being called out. Here he thought he had the perfect poker face on damn it!

“Stop.” Aizawa called out this time, fixing Midnight with a glare that would have made anyone else cave, but the threat only made the smirk on her face grow.

“It was lunch time then, and I was on my way to the cafeteria.” She went on, ignoring the groan of annoyance from her junior. “Someone from another class made fun of his quirk you see, saying something about it not being hero material. That there was no way he could possibly make it on his own. That it wasn’t good for combat, wasn’t useful for rescue, and that all he could do in a fight was to stand back and not get in everyone’s way.”

Shinso blinked. He couldn’t, for the life of him, imagine anyone stupid enough to say those words to someone like Eraserhead. He could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears; the adrenaline in his blood heightening his senses as he waited for the rest of the story.

“And? And?!” Emi bounced in her seat. She’s heard this story a few times from Nemuri and Yamada before, but it just never gets old.

“He didn’t say a word. Didn’t even budge when the guy got all up in his face.” Nemuri chuckled, recalling how she’d been so close to punching the idiot on the face if only Hizashi and Oboro hadn’t stepped in. “Fast forward to the sports festival, this dude is standing on top of the podium, holding the first place medal in his hand.” She jutted a thumb towards Eraserhead; her eyes not leaving the face of the enraptured student no longer capable of hiding his excitement.

“The moment the awarding ceremony ended, he stepped off the stage, jumped up towards the bleachers, and stood right in front of the guy who messed with him.” Nemuri paused, throwing Shinso and Emi a look to hype up the moment. “The whole stadium quieted down, eying the champion standing on top of the cement divider, looking down one particular guy who didn’t even make it past the first round.”

Emi fisted her hands, bracing herself for what was to come. “Here’s my favorite part…” She mumbled through gritted teeth, trying not to get in the way of Midnight’s storytelling.

Nemuri swept a dramatic arm in the air, eyes tracing the movement of her hand, finally allowing her gaze to return to the speechless, awestruck kid looking at her with wide unblinking eyes. “When the murmurs and whispers from the crowd finally quieted down… He asked, ‘How far did you get?’.”

Shinso held his breath, feeling his mind explode at the sheer fucking awesomeness of it all. The scene began playing in his head; a sudden burst of pride and admiration engulfing his entire being, making him feel weak and high both at the same time.

How on earth was Eraserhead so fucking cool?!

“Then he walked away! Didn’t even wait for an answer, the little shit!” Nemuri laughed out loud. For someone so quiet, so bent on not standing out from the crowd, Eraserhead sure hated losing.

Emi cheered, drumming her hands against the table to rile up everyone’s excitement even further. She scooted off the edge of her chair to move towards Aizawa, leaning one side of her face against her palm.

Shinso was barely even over Midnight-sensei’s mind-blowing anecdote, when Miss Joke suddenly sent him reeling into yet another dimension.

“Aizawa, let’s get married!”

“I decline.”

Shinso blinked once. Twice.

What on earth did he just witness?!

“You’ll say yes eventually!” Emi roared out a laugh, not the slightest bit affected by the rejection. She’s lost count of all the times her proposal had been denied, but a part of her just couldn’t help it!

Aizawa was the only person her quirk never worked on. He was so uptight, so stoic, and just so annoyingly straight-laced that she’s made it a lifelong mission to get him to laugh. Hell, she hasn’t even gotten the guy to smile! Aizawa Shouta was such a hard nut to crack, but damn if he wasn’t a worthwhile challenge.

Nemuri chuckled to herself, watching the all too familiar scene play out. The addition of the young, bug-eyed, gaping Eraserhead wannabe made things even more hilarious!

“Snacks are here!”

Present Mic came in from the kitchen with Eri alongside him holding onto a few utensils.

“Eri-chan!”

Miss Joke was on her in the next second, enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug, making Yamada panic when the porcelain plates wobbled dangerously in the little girl’s hands.

Shinso watched as Aizawa-sensei pulled the older woman off of Eri, not the least bit gentle. He grabbed her by the back of her collar – the same way he would grab misbehaving cats – depositing her unceremoniously on the floor, before chastising her for being a careless idiot.

“Oh it’s fine. I’ll be her mom in the future anyway.”

Shinso felt his lips part at the suggestive whisper he overheard, trying his best to focus on helping the sound hero with the food.

“Over my dead body.”

Shinso watched the underground hero step away from the beaming woman to help set up the table as well.

The rest of the night went by quickly, ending with Aizawa having to forcefully kick his guests out because it was way past Eri’s bedtime.

“You’ve become such a good dad, Eraser!”

“Great practice for when we have kids of our own!”

“Damn it, I’m so proud… Look at how far you’ve come!”

“Marry me, Ai-”

The loud slam of the door cut both women off; their loud, uncontrollable laughter reverberating through the door.

“The next time you bring them along, I swear I’ll ban you from my house too.”

Hizashi raised his hands up in the air. A sheepish but unapologetic grin was on his face. “Come on, Shota. It’s Christmas!”

Shinso watched the underground hero stalk after the blonde; complaints still at large but seemed to be falling on deaf ears. They began tidying up the kitchen, still arguing over the two women who’d just been evicted. He watched the scene before him in silence, amazed at how much the tables seemed to have turned.

Present Mic was always the one hounding Eraserhead about anything and everything. He was used to seeing the sound hero run after his mentor, forcing him to join in on all kinds of things, asking him to spend time with him. So it was so unusual to see it happening the other way around.

“Shota, they care about you. With that personality of yours, it’s hard to find people who actually stick around.” Hizashi chuckled, pausing from washing the dishes to eye him by the refrigerator, packing away the left overs. “People need other people.”

“I’m fine the way I am.”

“But fine isn’t great. Fine isn’t happy.”

Aizawa straightened up to throw him a glare over the door of the fridge. “Stop it with the philosophical crap.”

“You agreed remember? Or do I need to bring out the contract you signed.” Hizashi went back to washing the dishes, ignoring the feeling of daggers at the back of his head.

Aizawa grumbled, annoyed at himself for signing that ridiculous piece of paper. The submission of the end of term grades was due the next day then, and he was definitely cutting it close to the deadline. Hizashi had been hounding him about that annoying treaty for a whole month already. He just wanted the annoying blonde to go away.

“I won’t annoy the hell out of you to go to reunions, parties, and get-togethers, but I have a say on one holiday every year.” Hizashi started rinsing off the plates, still not bothering to spare the underground hero a glance. “I chose Christmas two years ago! It’s not my fault Nemuri and Emi enjoy your company so much that they decided to make this a tradition.” He turned around tentatively to grin at the incensed expression on his best friend’s face.

“Well I don’t enjoy theirs.” Aizawa closed the door of the refrigerator, crossing his arms on his chest.

“Tough luck.”

Aizawa felt his eye twitch at the nonchalant shrug he got as a reply. What was it with Hizashi and his incessant need to meddle in his social life? Why couldn’t the blonde understand that he was perfectly fine just staying at home with his cat, away from the noise of other people?

“But you know, ever since you’ve taken in Eri, and started training Hitoshi…” Hizashi paused, depositing the last of the plates back into the cabinet. “You seem… happier.”

Aizawa blinked at the unexpected statement. Was he? Was he actually happier? He looked away, not quite sure what to say about that.

Shinso held his breath when dark eyes landed on him; the look on the older man’s face almost accusatory. He saw Present Mic shift his gaze towards him as well, eyes widening momentarily before throwing him a tight smile.

“O-Oh hey, kiddo! Uh, Shota and I can handle the rest of the clean-up, yeah? Why don’t you get some sleep?”

He nodded awkwardly, unable to meet either of them in the eye, ashamed at having been caught eavesdropping. He walked away, feeling guilty for listening in on a conversation that wasn’t meant for his ears. He just…

He couldn’t help it.

He’s learned more about his mentor’s life in the last two hours than in the past year he’s known him. He’s witnessed sides of the older man he’s never seen before, making him want to figure out more.

How was he as a student? Did he excel? Did he ever fail? Shinso shook his head. He couldn’t imagine Eraserhead failing at anything. Did he ever get in fights? Argue with any of his classmates? Be at odds with his professors? Based on Nemuri’s story, it seemed like there was a chance he could have. Did he win during his last sport’s festival too? How about his freshman year? Did he ever get to fight that stupid bully? Shinso wished he did. He wished Aizawa-sensei beat him down so bad he would have to eat his words. Twice.

Shinso lay down on the unfamiliar bed, thoughts still stuck on piecing together his mentor’s UA life. He blinked. How about his experiences as a pro hero? Did Aizawa-sensei struggle? Did he know he would choose the underground path from the get go? Did he have a mentor back then too?

I was self- taught. I had to learn this from scratch, and it took me five years. But now I have the knowledge to teach others how to learn it.

Shinso’s hand went to his neck, imagining the feel of the cloth binds he’s gotten so used to in the past year. Aizawa-sensei figured out how to use it… all by himself. He fought against the hero stereotype… all by himself. He beat everyone who’s ever doubted him, berated him, and discouraged him… all by himself.

Ah.

Damn it.

Eraserhead was so damn cool. He was such a damn fucking badass!

And that badass… picked him.

Just practice the way I told you. I’m not the kind of guy who spends his time on something fruitless.

Aizawa-sensei chose him… out of everyone else.

Him.

Someone who wasn’t even in the hero course.

Him.

A person everyone’s already labeled as a villain.

Him.

A scrawny, lanky kid who had no real knowledge of his quirk’s limitations, close to zero combat skills, and with a barely passing physical education grade.

Him.

A weakling who lost against another kid much smaller than he was… in a fucking pushing match.

Shinso clicked his tongue. That was a memory he would never forget. He was out of bounds before he even realized. The shame and regret of that day would stay with him for the rest of his life.

So never again.

Never again will he allow himself to feel that helpless. That… pathetic.

He raised a hand up towards the ceiling, trying his best to make sense of the outline of his fingers even amidst the darkness of the room. He fisted them in the air, feeling his resolve take root much deeper into his being – grounding itself into the very core of his existence.

His initial motivation for being a hero had been selfish. He just wanted to prove everyone wrong – to do exactly what they said he couldn’t… until it morphed into something more.

It was the little things, really, that pushed him to yearn for it from the bottom of his heart.

Helping an old lady cross the road, pulling a kid’s balloon out of a tree, repackaging someone else’s fallen groceries, pulling a person away from a swerving car…

It was all those little bits of gratitude – the small thank yous, the looks of admiration, the complete and utter relief on other people’s faces.

Thank you so much for your help.

He was so used to getting suspicious glances, weary responses, and outright dismissals that those small, seemingly trivial exchanges lit a fire in him – one that wouldn’t seem to go out no matter what he did.

No matter how hard he tried.

It was then that he decided he would be a hero… because he wanted to help. Because it made him happy to.

But now, it seemed that was no longer the only reason.

Shinso brought his fisted hand down, pressing it against his chest in a silent pledge. No one else was here to see it, and he would probably keep it to himself for the rest of his life; but from this day forward, he would swear…

He would make Aizawa-sensei proud.

He would make him tell people, ‘See that kid? That’s my protégé right there. Taught him everything he knows.’

Shinso pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, grinning like a massive idiot, imagining the look on his mentor’s face when he finally sees just how amazing he was going to grow up to be. Just how great of a hero he was going to become!

No matter what happens, no matter how hard things would get… He would never give up. He would make it.

He will make it.

And he would make Aizawa-sensei so proud.

“About time, kid.”

“Good morning, Toshi-nii!”

Shinso felt his face gradually flush as he ran his hands through the monstrosity that was his bed hair. He smoothed his palms down the wrinkles of his matching grey pajamas, trying his best to look even the slightest bit presentable. “Sorry. I overslept.” He mumbled under his breath.

“It’s fine. Go set the table.”

Shinso blinked at the order, nodding wordlessly in reply. It sounded so offhanded that it almost seemed as if his presence in the underground hero’s home was something… natural. It was as if he’s always been here all along. He shook his head as he moved awkwardly around the kitchen in search for utensils.

He chanced a glance back at the pair by the stove, watching as Aizawa-sensei carefully answered all of the little girl’s questions, even allowing her to assist with the cooking every now and then.

“The chopsticks are in the cupboard on your right.”

The sudden statement startled Shinso back into action. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring that long, and that his mentor actually noticed despite having his back to him. The moment he finished the task, another instruction followed soon after.

“Go prepare the salad. Vegetables are in the fridge. Knives are in the drawer next to it. Chopping board is hanging by the rack.”

Shinso acknowledged the command with a nod once again, opening the refrigerator to pull out some fresh vegetables. After setting everything up, he took a moment to reframe his mind. He would never admit it out loud, but he was absolutely useless in the kitchen. Back at home, they had devices that did most of the cooking, and it wasn’t like he prepared any of his food.

Who the hell cut these up?! They look like shit!

Shinso narrowed his eyes at the memory of Bakugo complaining about his handiwork. Why on earth they had to do house chores at the dorms were beyond him! It wasn’t like UA couldn’t afford to hire more people. He was more than willing to pay extra for a chef and a cleaning staff. Having a gardener would be nice too. Their lawn could use some flowers.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Shinso paused from peeling the carrots to glance back at Aizawa-sensei, who was now standing right beside him. “Uh, you said to make the salad?”

“Yes, but at this rate we won’t have anything left for the actual salad.” Aizawa raised a thick portion of the carrot’s skin, presenting it to the younger boy at eye level.

Shinso swallowed down the urge to argue. If he sliced them too thin, he always ended up cutting himself. Every cooking partner he’s had at the dorms told him the exact same thing. So much so that he was so close to restocking their entire kitchen with automated appliances that would do all the manual labor for them.

“Here.”

It took Shinso a moment to process what the hand reaching towards him meant. He passed over the knife and carrot immediately, watching the older man work while instructing him. He nodded at every detailed description, staring in awe at the quick and skillful demonstration.

“Now you do it.”

Shinso nodded, taking a new carrot in his hand. The thunderous beating of his heart, and the slow build of anxiety in his chest reminded him so much of training. All he had to do was peel and slice up a damn vegetable, so why the hell was he so nervous? He swallowed down his nerves. He wanted to do this right.

Aizawa-sensei was silent all throughout, just like he always was whenever he asked him to repeat something. The same thoughts that plague his mind during training was running though his head. Was he doing something wrong? Did he follow the instructions right? Should he stop?

Aizawa tried his best to swallow down the laughter threatening to burst out of his chest. For someone so skilled at knife combat, Hitoshi was absolute shit in the kitchen. He watched the purple-haired boy chance a glance at him, no doubt waiting for feedback on the poorly cut up vegetable lying on the wooden board.

“You’ll be on salad duty throughout your stay.” Aizawa stated without room for argument. “Now let me see you slice up the cabbage.”

Shinso placed the last of the dishes back to the cupboard, sighing out loud at how much work he’s been made to do throughout the day. It definitely wasn’t how he expected his Christmas break to pan out, but for some reason, despite being stuck on house duty, he didn’t seem to mind it at all. He blinked. That was weird. He absolutely hated chores!

All they did all day was cook, eat and wash dishes, but he’s never felt so… content. It was strange. He took a moment to look around the homey kitchen, feeling so familiar with it after just one day. Now he knew exactly where everything was.

“I put Eri to bed now.”

Shinso snapped his head towards the door, taken off guard by his mentor’s sudden presence. The older man moved so quietly all the time that it always gave him a mini heart attack.

“She said to wish you a Merry Christmas.” Aizawa chuckled at the image of the little girl trying desperately to stay awake in time for Christmas Eve. He walked towards the refrigerator, grabbing a few cans out, tucking some of them under his arm. “What are you doing standing around here?” He raised a brow at the teen, popping open a can in one hand. “Don’t tell me you’re making a list of things to buy me again.”

“Of course not.” Shinso answered straightaway, knowing Aizawa-sensei didn’t believe him for a second. Sure he was thinking of getting the underground hero a coffee maker, an automated multi-purpose slicer, a dishwasher, and maybe even an entire kitchen island… but it’s not like he would do it. Yet.

“Toshi.”

Aizawa-sensei’s warning tone made him raise his arms up in surrender. “I’m not. I promise.”

Aizawa sighed, knowing full well the kid didn’t mean a word of it. Maybe if he gave him detention that would get the point across? He sighed. “Are you sleepy?”

Shinso shook his head. Oddly enough, despite having a full day of chores, he wasn’t feeling as tired as he expected.

“Come join me for a bit then.”

Shinso nodded, wordlessly following the older man as they made their way up the second floor, eventually stopping when they reached the balcony.

Aizawa dropped the cans onto the tiny glass table, pulling off the thick black fleece blanket over the chair to wrap it around his shoulders as he sat down. He clicked his tongue. “Kid, would you stop being so polite?” He jutted his chin towards the opposite chair, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the purple-haired boy standing in attention, waiting for permission to sit.

Shinso nodded again, pulling at an identical silver fleece blanket draped over the chair to keep warm. He sat down awkwardly, rubbing his palms against his thighs to combat the chill of the night. The clink of a can being placed on the side of the table right next to him made him look. He blinked. “Uh, sensei, you do know I’m underage right?”

Aizawa raised a brow, silently taking a sip out of the cold can of beer, only now realizing he should have warmed them up earlier. He moved the rest of them on his side of the table, tilting the one in his hand towards the lone can left on the opposite end. “It’s yours if you want it, but that’s all you get.”

Shinso rolled his tongue in his mouth, trying his best to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. Eraserhead was actually offering him his first taste of alcohol! If this was some sort of dream, he would be monumentally pissed the moment he woke up.

“Thank you, sensei.”

A noncommittal sound was all he got as a reply.

Shinso winced the moment his fingertips landed on the frozen aluminum. He knew it was stupid to drink something cold in this weather, but he might not get another a chance like this with Aizawa-sensei again. He pulled at the ring, taking a moment to sniff the contents of the can. It smelled pungent and strong, but something about its scent seemed clean. He took an experimental sip, unable to control the look of revulsion on his face.

Aizawa chuckled at the younger boy’s expression. Just like that he single-handedly ruined alcohol for the kid. He grinned. Hitoshi was better off being a coffee snob after all. “Not quite what you imagined, huh?”

“This is…” Shinso stopped the insults threatening to spill out of his mouth. How on earth could anyone like something this disgustingly bitter? He placed the can back onto the table, wishing he had something he could wash it down with. The sight of a moving object headed straight for him made him reach out reflexively.

Tiny packets of gummy bears and chocolate were in his hands. He fought the urge to glare at the underground hero, who simply shrugged at him in return. He was treating him like a kid again.

“Brought them just in case you’d hate beer.”

Shinso grumbled under his breath, but opened a piece of chocolate nonetheless. He needed something other than the aftertaste of beer in his mouth.

“So, how’s the year been for you?”

Shinso glanced back at the unreadable expression on the older man’s face. “Uh… It’s been fine, I guess.” He looked away. Was this some sort of year-end self-evaluation test? Or perhaps an inquisition for… for… well, for something.

“And the hero course? How are you adapting so far?”

“It’s been challenging, but all in all, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Any issues with the lessons?”

“None that I can think of.”

“How are things with your classmates, teachers?”

“Quite frankly… better than I expected.”

Aizawa nodded at his protégé’s quick and curt answers. The younger boy always responded as if every interaction was some sort of examination. Always careful with what to say – not wanting to give too much or divulge something incriminating. He sighed. It was the perfect disposition for someone who wanted to go pro, especially in the underground world, but not exactly the healthiest mindset for a teenage kid.

“And friends?”

“Huh?”

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, reiterating the question clearly. “How’s your relationship with your friends?”

“I…” Shinso furrowed his brows, not sure if it was some sort of trick question. “I don’t have any.”

Aizawa blinked at the unexpected answer, trying to decipher what it meant. He’s seen Hitoshi with his former homeroom students several times. He was certain the purple-haired teen was good friends with a couple of them.

“Midoriya, Kaminari, Todoroki, Bakugo… Don’t you get along with them?”

Shinso took a moment to just… look at his mentor. What on earth was he talking about? “I’m not friends with any of them.”

“Why not?”

The question took Shinso off guard. Didn’t he already explain himself before? “I’m not here to make friends.”

Aizawa hummed at this. “And Monoma? I’ve seen you with him a couple of times. I ran into Amajiki a few weeks ago too, and he told me you guys keep in touch.”

“Monoma just follows me around to piss me off.” Shinso rolled his eyes. “Amajiki-sempai works at the hero agency who asked me to intern. Fat Gum just asks him to bring me along sometimes.” For some weird reason, the blonde hero was convinced that he and Suneater got along really well. As for why, he had absolutely no idea. He would always order the shy hero to call him up whenever they would eat out.

“How about Tetsutetsu and Kendo? I saw you with them a couple of days ago.”

“I… I might be interning for Miruko at the start of next year. She sent me an invite.” Shinso scratched the back of his head. “They’ve been trying to get me to put in a good word for them.” He sighed. He wasn’t sure why the number five hero wanted him, out of everyone else. His quirk wasn’t exactly the best at combat, nor was it straightforwardly strong. If anything, his type was the exact opposite of hers.

“Oh, congratulations. That’s a pretty big deal.”

“Sorry I haven’t told you. I just learned about it a week ago and I wasn’t sure what to make of it exactly. I was thinking of telling you next year before the deadline of intern applications.”

“It’s alright. Was that the only invite you got?”

“Fat Gum handed me another one, but I don’t think we’re a good fit.” Shinso rubbed the back of his neck to hide his embarrassment. He thought that perhaps working under a hero with a completely different quirk type would help him figure out something different, but he was wrong. It only made him feel useless and out of place.

“So now you’re doubting whether matching up with another offensive quirk type is a good idea?”

Shinso nodded wordlessly.

Aizawa folded his arms on his chest, trying to figure out why Usagiyama invited Hitoshi to intern under her. She was notorious for not wanting anything to do with training the future generation. So why take one in out of the blue? It didn’t make any-

I’ll expect your thanks in the next couple of days!

Aizawa closed his eyes the moment Nemuri’s message flashed in his head. So this was what she meant. “Well, you still have some time left to decide. Don’t worry about it too much for now.”

Shinso nodded. “But if you were in my position, would you take it?”

“With All Might’s retirement, Miruko is no doubt the strongest hero. Physically, at least. But not only that, she’s the best at hand to hand combat as well. You’ll be hard pressed to find a hero that’s as mentally tough as her.” Aizawa paused, eying the silent teenager still waiting for his definitive answer.

“If I were to be perfectly honest, among the current top ten heroes, I think a better fit for you would be Hawks, Best Jeanist, or Edgeshot. But it’s not like you can’t learn anything from Miruko. I sparred with her once, so I can attest that she’s the real deal.”

Shinso blinked at the unexpected piece of information. “You know Miruko?”

Hey! Hey, you! You’re the one who erases quirks, right? Oi…kawa? Oh, Aizawa, right! Haha! Sorry, I’m bad with names! Anyway, I heard about you from Nemuri, so spar with me!

Aizawa nodded. He didn’t know the bunny hero that well, but he wasn’t particularly fond of her either. “She wanted to test her quirk against mine.”

“So… She challenged you?” Shinso tried his best to keep his voice level, not wanting to show too much enthusiasm.

Aizawa hummed in reply.

“And?”

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, scoffing at the poorly veiled interest on the younger boy’s face. “She won.”

Shinso nodded stiffly, not expecting that conclusion at all. So Eraserhead lost to Miruko, huh? He fisted his hands on his thighs. Now he was interested.

Aizawa shook his head at the image of his protégé lost in his own thoughts. With that piece of information, he was sure Hitoshi’s curiosity was piqued. He wouldn’t be surprised if the teen actually went for Miruko’s offer, despite having better ones. He sighed. If Nemuri was a genius at dirty tricks, Miruko was just plain… strong. Even with her quirk erased, and all her movements predicted, she could still send him flying.

“Hey kid…”

“Yes, sensei?” Shinso blinked at the pensive expression on the older man’s face, not sure what it meant.

“You’re really sure about this? The whole underground hero thing.”

Shinso tilted his head back, surprised by the sudden turn of the conversation. “Of course, sensei. I wouldn’t be putting this much effort if I wasn’t serious about it.”

Aizawa nodded, taking a sip out of his beer, only to realize it was already empty. He opened a new can, allowing himself a couple of gulps before addressing his protégé once again. “It’s… It’s not going to be what you expect it to be, you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no prestige with it. No fame. No accolades. No applause. It’s a solitary job that thrives on secrecy and, more often than not, lies.”

“I know that, sensei.”

Aizawa shook his head, not quite finished with what he wanted to say. “Knowing is different from understanding, Toshi. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this because I don’t think you can do it. You can. It’s not even a question.”

Shinso felt a swell of pride in his chest at the praise.

“It’s just that…” If I could choose a life for you, this wouldn’t be it, Aizawa stopped himself from saying. “I don’t want you to go down this path just because you think it’s the only one laid out for you. There are a lot of ways to become a hero, Toshi. I don’t want you limiting yourself to this just because your quirk is a perfect fit for it.”

“I’m not, sensei. I’m really not.”

“And I don’t want you gunning for it just because I did.”

Shinso quieted down, not having an answer to that. He could deny it all he wanted, but Eraserhead was his model – his ideal. He never even thought he could be a hero until he found out about underground pros. Aizawa-sensei was exactly what he wanted to be in the future. The older man was… He was just it for him.

“I’m not saying this to discourage you, kid, alright? You are every bit deserving of what you have now. All I’m saying…”

Shinso turned his head back to glance at his mentor the moment a hand landed on his shoulder.

“What I want you to understand, kid, is that none of this is set in stone, alright? The last thing I want is for you to feel the pressure to live up to what you think I want you to be, or what you think people expect you to be. If, at any point, you feel like what you’re doing isn’t something that you want anymore, or that you’ve found something else you want to pursue… It’s okay.”

“What are you saying, sensei?” Shinso couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Do you think I would ever give up on being a hero?”

Aizawa shook his head. “Kid, you’re not listening to me.”

“Then what exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“I’m saying… As you live your life, your views transform. The things you hold dear change. Your priorities shift. And that’s okay. You hear me, kid?”

Shinso felt the hold on his shoulder tighten, making him swallow down his arguments for the time being.

“Now, this doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you quit the hero course.” Aizawa snorted. “I’ll drag your sorry ass back if that happens.” He glared at his protégé, making the younger boy shake his head.

“What I’m talking about… is the future. Get it, kid? The moment you reach your goal. The day you achieve your dream. When you’ve finally become an underground hero and made a name for yourself. When people start spreading rumors and stories about you that could rival urban legends.” Aizawa chuckled. He had a strong hunch the kid would leave a mark one way or another. 

Shinso rolled his eyes at his mentor’s exaggeration, but he would be lying if he said it didn’t sound good to him, or that he wouldn’t try to earn some sort of reputation.

“Then, all of a sudden, maybe one day in the future… you wake up and realize somehow, for some reason, it’s not what you want anymore.” Aizawa quieted down, taking a long sip out of his beer.

Shinso felt his lips part, taken off guard by his mentor’s admission. Only the streetlights illuminated the balcony, casting a shadow against the underground hero’s face, making him look weary and older than he actually was. The steady puffs of his breathing disintegrated slowly, wrapping around him in a strange melancholic way.

“I got tired of it, kid.” Aizawa crushed the empty can of beer in his hand, chucking it onto the table before opening another one. “It was a hard life.” He sighed. There was no point in sugarcoating his words. “Drugs. Cybercrime. Weapons trade. Human trafficking. Everything involving the black market. That’s our world. Dipping your foot into the darkest side of humanity – that’s what it means to be an underground hero.”

Shinso stayed silent, not the least bit surprised by any of it. He knew exactly what was expected of underground heroes. Espionage was their forte. That meant heading into enemy territory with the goal of earning their trust, their secrets, and everything else that was needed to take the entire operation down. It could last for months, years, maybe even decades. The mortality rate for their line of work was high, and often covered up so as not to hinder the progress.

Underground heroes weren’t honored in any way. Their achievements were kept secret – none of their service broadcasted or thanked. They don’t get action figures, fan meets, endorsement projects, media appearances, and awards. Most of them going as far as being unlisted under the hero association to avoid detection. As far as society was concerned, they didn’t exist, which was what they needed to be in order to get the job done.

“You could say I gave up.” Aizawa shrugged, recalling the reaction of his old comrades when he told them he would become a professor at UA. Any kind of public exposure was a huge risk for an underground hero. His choice to work at the most famous and most prestigious hero school made it impossible for him to continue as one. It was career suicide.

“Back then, I was so certain of it… of what I wanted to become. So when I left, I wasn’t exactly sure what the hell I was doing. All I knew was that…” Aizawa sighed, cradling the half empty can of beer between his hands, sniffing at the cold air. “I was tired. I was just… tired.”

Aizawa-sensei was always so strong, so levelheaded, and so unshakable. Seeing him now – hunched against a chair, wrapped in an old fleece blanket, trying to fight the chill of the night as he drank one can of beer after another – made Shinso realize that he was also just… human. So unbelievably human.

“So listen to me, kid, when I tell you that… it’s okay. Okay?” Aizawa tilted his head towards his protégé, not having the courage to look him in the eye. Perhaps it was the beer, or perhaps it was the dark cover of the night… Perhaps it was the spirit of the holidays, or perhaps he just… he just wanted to be completely honest for once.

“If… at any point in your life, you feel like… you’re done. It’s okay.”

Shinso nodded, finally understanding what Aizawa-sensei wanted to say. “Thank you, sensei. I… I appreciate your words. I really do.” It was reassuring to know that no matter what path in life he would end up taking, the older man would never take it against him – never judge him for it.

“You get it now?”

Shinso nodded resolutely. “I do.”

“Good.”

“It’s okay too, sensei.”

“Huh?”

Aizawa turned towards the younger boy, feeling his brows raise all the way up his forehead at the sight of warm purple eyes. “It’s okay.” He heard Hitoshi say once again.

“It’s okay that you’re done.”

Aizawa swallowed down the lump in his throat, utterly speechless.

“Thank you for all your hard work, sensei.”

Aizawa tore his eyes away from his student, glancing down at the can of beer in his hands. He didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry, but damn…

Just how long had he been waiting to hear those words from someone?

“I’m not as cool as you thought I was, huh?” He chuckled, shaking his head at the entire thing. Here he was, the mentor of an unbelievably talented kid, and yet instead of being the dependable one, he was the one being cheered on.

Shinso snorted at the older man’s poor attempt at humor, laughing alongside him as he attempted to take another sip of beer. He stuck his tongue out, scrunching his face in disgust which made the underground hero laugh even louder. He clicked his tongue, grinning at his mentor’s trembling form.

“You’ll always be cool to me, sensei.”

The unexpected praise cut off Aizawa’s laughter instantaneously. He coughed to hide his discomfort, rubbing at the back of his neck to soothe the awkwardness. He crossed his arms on his chest, scoffing at the younger boy who gazed at him undeterred. “Flattery will get you nowhere, kid.”

“I mean it. No one is cooler than you, sensei.”

Aizawa looked away. What the hell was wrong with this kid? Was he seriously getting drunk with just two sips of beer? He was acting bolder than usual, spouting out one compliment after another without the slightest bit of hesitation.

“Shut up and head to your room. It’s way past your bedtime.”

“I find it quite ironic that you’ve given an underage teen a can of beer, but still insist on making him stick to a sleep schedule.”

Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the smug look the younger boy was sending his way. He knew Hitoshi’s always had a snarky side to him. He’s seen it more than a couple of times, but the kid’s never really directed it at him. Until now.

“He is going to be stuck on kitchen duty alone all day tomorrow, if he doesn’t head back to his room.”

Shinso rolled his eyes, raising his hands up in mock surrender. He moved to take the empty cans of beer with him, but was stopped by a raised hand.

“I can clean these up by myself.”

Shinso nodded, pulling off the fleece blanket from his shoulders, gritting his teeth when the chill hit him all at once. He paused before draping it over his chair, choosing to round the table to hang it over his mentor instead. The slight stiffening of the older man’s shoulders was all he got as a reply. “Don’t stay out too long or you’ll catch a cold, sensei.”

“Stop worrying, Toshi.” Came Aizawa’s exasperated tone. “Just get to bed already.”

Shinso nodded, staring at the older man’s back one last time, not wanting to leave just yet. He could tell this was a side of Aizawa-sensei he rarely ever showed people. The fact that the underground hero let him in, even just a little bit, told him he was trusted. Very much so.

A part of him really wanted to stay. He still wanted to hear more anecdotes about his mentor’s life and experiences, but he could tell Aizawa-sensei wanted to be left alone for now. One thing was for sure though. The next time the older man needed someone to talk to, he would be there for him. No questions asked.

“Merry Christmas, sensei.”

“Merry Christmas, Toshi.”

Shinso bowed his head in apology as he stood by the living room. "Sorry sensei, Eri, I overslept again." He closed his eyes shut, not believing he'd done it two days in a row now. After the conversation he had with Aizawa-sensei late last night, he'd been up until the early hours of the morning just thinking about it.

"We've been waiting all morning for you!" Eri pouted, holding onto the large wrapped box that Eraserhead got her for Christmas. "It's past noon now!"

Aizawa chuckled at the little girl's annoyance. She had initially wanted to open gifts on Christmas eve, but had been unable to stay up for it.

Shinso apologized a few more times as Eri ran towards the tree, grabbing a few gifts from under it.

"Here, Toshi-nii! Hurry, hurry!"

Shinso blinked at the packages in his hand, confused as to why she was handing them to him. "Don't you want to open your gifts yourself?"

Eri looked at him oddly, tilting her head to one side. "Those are yours, Toshi-nii." She pointed towards the scattered toys and torn wrappers on the coffee table. "I opened mine already, except for this one." She raised the huge box she struggled to keep in her arms.

Shinso glanced at the four gifts in his hands, surprised to get some himself. He took a quick look at the cards and realized they were from Aizawa-sensei, Present Mic, Midnight, and… He turned the last gift around in search for a name, but there was nothing. "Who sent this one, sensei?" He saw his mentor's eye twitch at the sight of the unmarked package.

"Fukukado." He answered blankly. "She sent one yesterday for you and Eri."

Shinso narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Why wasn't there a card attached to it?

Aizawa turned his attention back to Eri, helping her clear up some space on the coffee table. He certainly wasn't going to show them what had been written on their cards. He sighed. What the hell was Fukukado thinking, writing a ridiculous claim that they would be spending next Christmas together as a family? He shook his head.

"Toshi-nii!" Eri called out impatiently, motioning for him to head over to the couch right next to them. "Come on! Come on!"

Shinso eyed the large box on the coffee table as he laid down his gifts right next to it. "Why didn't you open that one, Eri?" He threw her a glance before inspecting the rest of the opened presents scattered on the table.

"This is Shota-san's gift! I was waiting for you so we could open ours together!" She beamed.

Shinso looked at her with wide eyes. He could tell by her disposition that she wanted nothing more than to tear the thing apart and figure out what was inside, but she waited. For him. Because she wanted them to open Aizawa-sensei's presents together. He blinked, feeling a familiar warmth in his chest. "You didn't have to-"

"On three, Toshii-nii!" Eri bounced excitedly on the couch as she looked at him with glee. "One! Two! Three!"

Eri lunged at the huge box, tearing the wrapping paper apart, while Shinso took his time trying to pull out the sticky tapes lodged on the edges.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Kid, take a tip from the little girl." He tilted his head towards Eri.

"But it'll make a mess." Shinso looked at him matter-of-factly.

"There are some things you have to do a certain way, because they make things much more fun."

Shinso let out a sigh, tearing through the paper as carefully as he could. He looked at the unlabeled black box in front of him, confused as to what it was. He shook it a few times, bringing it closer to his ear to try and guess what was inside.

Aizawa chuckled to himself as he watched the two of them handle their presents. Eri was diving in nose first, while Shinso was as cautious as ever. He shook his head. They couldn't be more opposite.

"A monster truck!" Eri squealed in excitement as she pulled the box open, jumping up and down before barreling into Eraserhead. "Thank you!"

Aizawa let out a huff of air at the contact, patting the little girl on the head. "You stared at it for a really long time the last time we were at the toy store."

"You noticed?!" Eri blushed, embarrassed at having been caught.

Aizawa nodded his head, before tilting it towards the toy. "Go ahead." He watched her run back to the box, pulling out pieces of the remote controlled vehicle, figuring out how to set it up. Eri was never the type to ask him for things, and was quick to reject any of his offers to buy her stuff, so he made sure to pay attention. He smiled a little to himself, glad that she was better now at accepting things, and was more open with her emotions.

"Sensei… What's this?" Shinso raised a few packets of circle stickers, unsure of what he was looking at exactly. They varied in sizes, but were all transparent and void of color.

"GPS stickers. They activate the moment you take them out of their packaging." Aizawa answered with a small smirk on his face. "The device at the bottom of the box tells you their location at all times. It comes with an app you can add to your gadgets, so you can access information about them as well."

Shinso glanced back at the items in his hand, flattered that Aizawa-sensei had thought of such a gift. It was a perfect thing to have while working out on the field. He could use it to–

"That way you'll finally stop misplacing your stuff."

Shinso blinked once. Twice. "Huh?"

Aizawa jutted his chin at the stickers. "Stick them to your phone, your bag, your tumbler…" He shook his head. "Do you have any idea how many insulated water containers you've lost since we started training?"

Shinso felt his face heat up. Here he thought the GPS stickers were for tracking villains! "I don't lose things that often!" He called out defensively. Sure he's lost more than a dozen tumblers, but that was mainly because he would get so hyperfocused around the underground hero and their training. His brain just completely loses sight of anything else.

"Sure…" Aizawa drawled out disbelievingly as he moved off the couch. "You kids go get ready now. We're heading out to eat."

Shinso blinked at this. They weren't cooking together this time? The disappointment he felt surprised him. He hated doing house chores, but there was just something about Aizawa-sensei's house that made them seem… fun.

"I still wanna play…" Eri pleaded, jumping up and down as she pressed her hands together. "Please? Please please please?"

Shinso watched the standoff between the two of them, seeing Aizawa-sensei purse his lips and huff through his nose; no doubt trying to deliberate the whole thing.

"We need to eat first, Eri. When we get back home, you can play with it as much as you want."

"But I waited so long to open it…"

Shinso could see small tears forming in the little girl's eyes as she tried her best to hold them back. He saw Aizawa nod in understanding, before kneeling down to meet her at eye level.

"I know. And it was really nice of you to wait for Hitoshi. But you see, he's just woken up and he hasn't had anything to eat yet."

Shinso watched Eri's eyes widen in understanding. Ruby eyes were on him in the next instant.

"Oh no! We need to go then!" Eri picked up the rest of her toys and started lining them up neatly on the table, taking the torn pieces of wrapping paper in her hand as she headed for the garbage. "Can I leave my toys there first, Shota-san? I promise I'll put them in my room when we get back!"

"Okay." Aizawa nodded, helping her clean up the rest of the mess off the floor. "Toshi, go back to your room and get ready."

Shinso nodded, but was stopped by Eri as she stood in front of him carrying a black trash bag. "Toshi-nii, go ahead and open your presents so I can throw away the paper."

Shinso unwrapped the rest of his gifts, dumping the torn wrappings inside the plastic bag. He got a packet of microfiber towels from Miss Joke, an insulated tumbler from Present Mic… He felt his eye twitch knowing for a fact that his mentor probably had a hand at that. The last one was– He hastily stuffed the package inside the pocket of his silk pajamas, quickly announcing his leave as he ran back to his room.

He closed the door, making sure to lock it before heading towards a table to drop the rest of his gifts. He stuffed his hand inside the pocket of his pajamas, pulling out Midnight's Christmas present. He blinked in disbelief. It couldn't be. There was no way that… This was… He couldn't believe it. He held the item in his hands, staring down at it in awe.

A pair of yellow goggles. Just like sensei's.

Knock yourself out, mini-Eraser ;)

He read the small note attached to the eyepiece, before going back to inspect the replica in his hand. It looked exactly like sensei's! He's seen it so many times that it was impossible for him not to distinguish any inconsistencies.

He held it up to eye level, feeling his mind explode at the sheer awesomeness of it all. Holy shit! He was holding onto a pair of Eraserhead goggles! Shit! He's been wanting one since forever, but underground heroes didn't get any merch. There was no way to purchase it.

Shinso slowly pulled it over his eyes, giggling uncontrollably as he ran across the room, pretending to throw imaginary cloth binds all over the place. Just like that, he was eight again, playing hero in his bedroom ecstatic over finding out about the existence of underground heroes – excited over the fact that there was more to being a hero than having insane strength.

Suddenly, he could be one too. Even someone like him… could make it one day.

A few quick knocks on the door made him lose his footing, groaning when his hip landed on the floor.

"Toshi? What are you doing in there?"

"Just a minute!" He called out, panicking at the sound of Aizawa-sensei's voice. He pulled the goggles out of his eyes, stuffing them under his pillow before pulling the door open. He was greeted by a raised brow, and skeptical eyes that scanned his room questioningly.

"Did you need something, sensei?"

Aizawa glanced down at him, noticing his slight discomfort and the way he rubbed a hand against his hip. "What happened to you?"

"I just slipped."

Aizawa let out a noncommittal sound not quite believing his excuse, but decided to let it go. "You have the stickers I gave you?"

Shinso nodded.

"Good. Take one out."

Shinso scrunched his brows in confusion, but followed nonetheless. He went back to his room towards the table, pulling a circular sticker out of a packet before making his way back to the door. "Here."

Aizawa nodded, raising the water tumbler he had in his hand. He smirked when he saw Hitoshi's face turn a bright shade of red. "Stick it on."

Shinso grabbed Present Mic's gift off the underground hero's hand, before slamming the door shut in embarrassment. He didn't realize he forgot to take it with him when he bolted out of the living room.

Aizawa chuckled to himself as he walked away. "Make sure not to lose it this time!" He called out loud enough for his protégé to hear.

Shinso glanced at the family restaurant they were in, surprised to see it so crowded. He and his mother usually celebrated Christmas at home, so he never realized how busy commercial places could get during the holidays.

"Toshi."

Shinso turned towards his mentor, watching him jut his chin towards his plate.

"Finish your vegetables."

He felt his eye twitch at the order, looking down on his plate to glare at the two pieces of broccoli he left lying there.

"You can do it, Toshi-nii!" Eri cheered, stuffing a piece of the green vegetable in her mouth as an example. "They're not that bad."

Aizawa nodded at the little girl, smiling proudly at the action. Eri was never a picky eater, and it made his life so much easier.

Shinso continued to glare at the disgusting plant, not wanting to make a move. It's not that he didn't like vegetables. He just hated this particular one.

"You won't get dessert unless you finish it."

Shinso raised a brow at this. "Fine with me."

Aizawa hummed at this, crossing his arms on his chest as he leaned back against the booth they were situated in. "Alright. Then no one gets dessert unless all plates are cleared."

Eri's gasp was instant. "Toshi-nii…"

Shinso felt himself slowly drowning in guilt at the sight of the little girl's wide pleading eyes.

"Can I help him, Shota-san?"

Aizawa shook his head. "Sorry, Eri. That's his responsibility." He smirked at the glare his protégé sent him, amused by his resistance. The kid was willing to jump off a building with only his cloth binds to protect him from the fall, but wasn't willing to stuff a tiny green leaf in his mouth? He chuckled.

Shinso felt his annoyance grow at the sight of the amused older man. He knew exactly what the underground hero was doing. He used him earlier to get Eri out of the house, and now he was using her to get him to do his bidding as well.

"Toshi-nii…"

He was met with the little girl's doe eyes once again. This time she also had her hands up in a prayer towards him. He sighed in resignation. He stabbed each piece and stuffed them both quickly in his mouth. He held his breath and chewed as fast as he could, washing it down with a generous amount of grape juice.

"Yehey! Congratulations, Toshi-nii!"

"See? That wasn't so hard." Aizawa grinned when the younger boy glared at him once again as he grumbled under his breath. He shook his head in amusement, excusing himself so he could head to the restroom.

Shinso sighed out loud the moment the UA professor left the table. He could still taste the broccoli in his mouth, making him take another sip from his juice. Suddenly, he missed his dining table at home. There, no one would force him to eat anything he didn't want. He always ate alone after all. He blinked, recalling the previous day full of laughter in Aizawa-sensei's kitchen. He glanced down on his plate, seeing a few bits of broccoli left on it. Well… Perhaps they weren't so bad after all.

"Excuse me– Oh, where did your dad go?"

Shinso looked up at the waitress holding onto a black clipboard with a receipt snapped on it. "Uh…" Should he correct that statement? Aizawa-sensei was a lot of things to him – his professor, his mentor, his idol – but he wasn't his father. Even though people always assumed he was. Even though Eraserhead never bothered to deny it. Even though deep down, Shinso really wanted–

"Should I just comeback? Or is your dad on his way?"

Shinso snapped out of his thoughts. "Uh, you can just leave it with me." He pulled out his wallet, sifting through it to grab a credit card when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Don't even think about it, kid."

Shinso froze in place. Did Aizawa-sensei hear their conversation? Did he notice that he didn't deny it when the waitress…? He swallowed the awkwardness down his throat, wishing the underground hero hadn't heard a thing.

"Did he ask for the bill?"

"Uh, no sir. I've just been told your table was checking out?"

"No, we weren't."

"Oh dear! My deepest apologies, sir. I didn't mean to hand the bill to your son. There must have been a mix up!"

"It's fine."

Shinso blinked at the exchange, realizing Aizawa-sensei hadn't bothered to correct the lady either. The warmth in his chest was back with a vengeance. So much so that he had to tell himself a hundred times that it was because it would be too troublesome to explain why an adult man was out with two kids who weren't his.

He watched Aizawa sensei pay for the bill, helping Eri down from the couch as they made their way out of the family restaurant. Shinso remembered feeling the biting cold the moment they stepped out of the house earlier; but now, as they stalked through the snow-covered streets, he was filled with a warmth he couldn't quite explain.

"Taiyaki!" Eri exclaimed, pointing towards a stall near the park.

"Do you want one?" Aizawa asked, sensing the little girl start to catch herself. "We haven't had dessert yet."

"Uh, it's okay, Shota-san! We just ate after all."

Aizawa sighed, bending down on one knee to look her in the eye.

"Eri. What did I say you could do when you want something?"

Eri looked down towards her shoes, fidgeting with her hands as she chanced a glance at Eraserhead every now and then. "Ask." She answered quietly.

"Good. Now show me. How do you ask me for Taiyaki?"

"It's really okay, Shota-san. I'm-" Eri paused at the look of encouragement her guardian sent her way. She took a deep breath in, strengthening her resolve as she nodded. "May I please get Taiyaki?"

Aizawa smiled, placing a hand over her head in approval. "Yes, you may. Go ask Toshi if he wants some."

Shinso blinked at the exchange. They were now, more than ever, every bit the father and daughter duo. He nodded wordlessly at Eri's inquiry, walking with her towards the food stand. She asked them both what they wanted, before ordering for all three of them.

"Must be tough being such a young dad, huh?"

Shinso blinked at the statement, turning to eye the elderly couple manning the Taiyaki stall.

"And with two children at that!" The old woman beamed at Eri, waving at her from behind the kiosk.

"It has its moments."

Shinso forgot to breathe. Did Aizawa-sensei just…?

"Oh my, what a doting father we have here!" The old woman chuckled. "Reminds me of someone I know…" She turned her gaze towards her husband, whose face seemed to have turned a few shades of red.

"I don't spoil our kids!"

"Sure…"

"I can be quite the disciplinarian you know!"

"Of course, dear. I don't doubt it for a second."

The rest of the old couple's squabbling went over Shinso's head. The only thing that kept playing in his mind was the thought that not only did Aizawa-sensei not deny their claims, but he even… acknowledged them.

"Here you go."

Shinso blinked at the Taiyaki in front of him, reaching out for it when the old man nudged it towards him one more time. He moved to take his wallet out of his back pocket when a hand landed on his head.

"Just be a kid and let the adults pay."

Shinso felt himself bristle at the statement. "I'm sixteen. I'm not a kid anymore."

Aizawa ruffled his hand against his protégé's hair before taking out his wallet. "You'll always be a kid to me."

Shinso looked down at the Taiyaki in his hand, not knowing what to respond to that.

"Oh my, what a responsible son you have! Paying for his own meal!"

"Sixteen, huh? That's a pretty difficult age."

Aizawa hummed at the old man's statement. "He's entering his rebellious phase."

Shinso didn't know if he wanted to melt all the way to the floor, or explode into a million pieces. "I'm not rebellious!"

Aizawa ignored him, continuing to address the elder couple. "Earlier, we had a standoff over vegetables. He's sixteen and he still doesn't eat them."

Shinso saw the small smirk his mentor threw him, no doubt taking a piss at him by playing along with the older couple. He was sure Aizawa-sensei was just messing with him, but he had no idea just how much this whole thing meant to him.

"You take good care of your dad now, alright kid?"

"Don't give him such a hard time! You're the eldest so you have to watch out for your sister."

It took Shinso a few moments to realize that he was the one being addressed. Unable to find his voice, he opted to nod at the older couple, before walking away. It was a chilly Christmas day, but the steaming Taiyaki in his hand, and the burst of affection in his chest were enough to keep him warm even in the coldest December night.

"You have everything?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Your clothes all in there? Your plane ticket?"

"I have them."

"Your gadgets all charged? Passport? Cash?"

"Double checked and ready."

"Your water tumbler?"

Shinso felt his eye twitch as his mentor grinned down on him. "I have it." He replied through gritted teeth.

Aizawa chuckled at his protégé's expression, no doubt annoyed at having been reminded of his tendency to lose his things.

"Bye bye, Toshi-nii…" Eri called out weakly as she leaned against one of Eraserhead's legs. It was two in the morning, but she was doing everything she could to stay awake.

Shinso bent down to pat her on the head. "You didn't have to stay awake."

"But I want to see you off…" She replied with a yawn, rubbing at her eyes to try and keep them open for as long as she could.

Aizawa chuckled at the sleepy little girl, bending down to pull her up against his chest. Her head was on his shoulder as she hooked her arms around his neck.

"She told me to wake her up before you left." Aizawa tapped her back a few times, willing her to sleep. "She made me promise."

Shinso nodded at this, smiling at the sleeping little girl, when the headlights of an approaching vehicle made him turn around.

"Your ride's here." Aizawa jutted his chin towards the parked taxi, waving at the driver who peeked at them from an open window.

"Yeah." Shinso nodded at the driver curtly, turning back towards the father and daughter pair in front of him. "Thank you so much for everything, sensei. This Christmas has been…" The best I've ever had, he stopped himself from saying. "Fun." He settled on instead. "I had a lot of fun, sensei."

Aizawa's eyes widened at the statement, smiling a bit when he realized the younger boy really meant it. Hitoshi was always so focused, so serious, and so driven by his goals. It always made Aizawa wonder if the kid was ever really enjoying the journey. He wanted him to have fun. He wanted him to laugh, and be silly, and do crazy shit that people his age should be doing.

He wanted him to just be a kid.

"Take good care of yourself, sensei."

"You take care, too." Aizawa reached a hand out, dropping it onto his protégé's head. "See you next year, kid."

It was just five words, but those five words meant the world to Shinso. Those five words told him 'You're always welcome', 'You have a home here', 'You have someone to come back to'…

'I'll still be here.'

Shinso made his way to the taxi, turning around one last time to nod at his mentor. Maybe it was the darkness of the night, or the growing chill in the air. Perhaps it was the impending goodbye, or the sentimentality of the holiday season… But for once, he just wanted to be honest with himself. He wanted to acknowledge something he's long since known, but had always been afraid to say out loud.

As he stood by the door of the car watching Aizawa-sensei smile at him softly, he felt like he could finally admit it. He knew he was out of earshot, but it didn't matter. He was here to hear it for himself. He smiled.

"I'll see you next year, dad."