Work Text:
Folks in the erasermic discord mentioned there weren't enough dadmic fics. c:
Thank you to Glue for being an amazing beta and helping me work through this!
He had spent three days with it at the hospital. Hizashi had tucked his long blonde hair into a toque, pulling his scarf high over his face.
Too warm for the summer heat, but he couldn't risk paparazzi finding him. Couldn’t risk someone in the hospital recognizing him and following him.
The woman who birthed it had left the hospital the minute she could, weaseling another cheque from Hizashi’s agent on the way out as she signed another contract. She didn't care, she never planned on keeping it. It wasn’t until lawyers contacted her that the child meant anything to her, that she decided it was against her beliefs to abort it, that she needed compensation for emotional trauma of birthing and putting it up for adoption.
The contracts were long, both her and Hizashi sitting at a table in dead silence as her fake tears dried away- as his genuine tears started.
Never speak of this. Never involve Hizashi Yamada. Live a comfortable life anywhere in the world. You never met him. You never gave birth.
Your child never existed.
Hizashi hated the word “mistake”. They hadn’t meant for it to happen, she hadn't wanted the kid and was ready to find her way to an abortion clinic. It was a one night fling.
He made his way silently through the maternity ward, peering into a room filled with newborns all quietly sleeping.
Except one. One baby swaddled in bright pink stared back at him, her green eyes wide, unblinking. He could see the distinct rings around her pupils- something that had only passed down from his grandmother to his mother to him, and now to the small bundle of life before him.
Yamada couldn't stop the tears that started, biting down on his lip when the baby smiled at him, all open mouthed and toothless. A nurse quietly joined him, smiling.
“Is she yours?”
“Yeah…”
“Same eyes! I didn’t see you there today Mr. Yamada.”
Seeing his face made her pause, her hand coming to cover her mouth as she recognized him.
Oh well, his rep could handle one more contract of silence to be signed.
“Nurse… Could I see her? Please?”
The nurse was quick to accommodate after that… Fame really could get you anything. He had sent a quick text to his agent and then turned the phone off. The nurse explained to him the doctors fear that she may be mute- she hadn't cried, hadn't made a single sound since being born. Three days of silence.
His PR would be ecstatic- one less way to tie her back to him.
The baby was laid in his lap, opening and closing her mouth, as if testing the motions for the first time. Her little hands splayed out uselessly at her sides. She hadn’t made a peep.
Hizashi took one of the little hands, trying his damnedest to stop crying. Every time she looked up at him though, he felt his heart break a little more. He felt her hand give the smallest of squeezes, almost like a little wave.
“Hey, sweetie…” Another toothless, soundless grin, big and wide and trusting.
He spent those three days with her, never leaving her side. He used his fame to keep a room to himself while the adoption forms went through. He held her while they slept, fed her, stayed by her side during check-ups, whispered to her each and everyday; about him, about the grandparents she would never meet, about her uncle Shouta, about his hero work, about why he had to let her go…
“I swear I’m not letting you go cause of something stupid… I… I have this friend I care about greatly, and had really bad parents… And right now? I don't think I could be a good parent to you… I’m busy, you would never have privacy… And..”
He stared down at her big curious eyes, brushing back the thin blonde hair on her head- the colour of lemons.
“Heroes die… “ He felt her little hand squeeze, still not a sound from her.
“I could die any day… I’ve almost died too many times to count…” He squeezed back ever so carefully, pulling the baby close. “I’m always working… I’m always tired… I’m loud and irresponsible… I’m not a good dad…”
“I couldn't do that to you… You need parents who aren't me, and I know you’ll hate me for that- I hate me for that- God, if I could have had you ten years from now, I would drop everything, but…”
But right now, too many people looked up to him. He had enough impact and sway to help make change a reality, to help make the world a better place for the little girl swaddled in his arms. She blinked once, as if confused, her lime green eyes shining.
“Even if you hate me, I’ll make sure you have a chance to live in a better world than the one I grew up in… Than the one Shouta grew up in.”
When the new parents came, he refrained from crying. Even came across as cold, maybe. Two more contracts of silence to fill out. Two more cheques to write.
She was never Hizashi Yamada’s child.
It hurt. It hurt too much, but he was tired of paperwork. Tired of having to call his rep. Tired of lying to Shouta about where he’d been. Tired of imagining her growing up. Imagining her first steps. Her first words. Her first instrument.
Would she want to be a hero?
He collapsed in his shared apartment, curling in on himself in his room.
He tried to erase the memory of her stirring and screaming when he handed her off.
As loud as he was when he was born.
He had left one thing with the parents. A note he scrawled at two in the morning while holding her.
To my dearest little listener…
Shouta hated first days. He hated seeing everyone brimming with excitement, and he hated crushing it. Better him than a villain, though.
And he hated getting attached. His nickname had ever so quickly gone from hard-ass to softie the past few years, no thanks to what he will forever call his “problem children”.
Today was different. Clutched tight in his hand was the lunch Eri packed for him, a note from her and Mic scribbled on it. In his other hand a coffee Mic had grabbed for him to start the class with.
He came in to a noisy room, head pounding almost instantly.
“Listen up. I’m your homeroom teacher, Aizawa. I’m surprised you have enough time to waste talking instead of prepping for the next four years of grueling hell and work ahead of you.”
He grinned wide, teeth blinding, bloodshot eyes scanning the class. “Don't worry, we’ll make up for it today-”
Any fake threat he had prepared died when an oh so familiar pair of ringed emerald eyes met his- trusting, curious, kind.
Her smile was exactly the same as Hizashi’s.
It took him a day to sift through all her files- there was no chance Hizashi would bump into her. He only taught second and third years now so he could spend more time at home with Eri.
That gave him all the time in the world to absorb…
This.
She had been adopted a few days after birth to a man and a woman who couldn't conceive their own child. Her quirk manifested at birth- first thought to be mute but then found out to have a vocal quirk.
Quirk registration updated when it was noted her voice had healing qualities.
Her parents got her a counselor at a young age- the reason on file was because her teachers expressed concern for her family situation. She never referred to her parents as such, and in class would draw someone else in family pictures.
Otherwise, stable. A happy, healthy home. A straight-A student who trained hard, although she was still physically lacking. Spent most of her time volunteering or helping others- working food banks, soup kitchens, charity events…
5/5 intelligence, just like Hizashi. A heart as big as Hizashi’s. A voice quirk, just like Hizashi.
Then he got to her U.A. application.
Both he and Hizashi couldn't attend the testing this year, since it fell too close to Shinsou’s birthday.
The video feed was spectacular- every second of her in the testing zone was assisting others, pushing them forward, protecting them and taking hits for her fellow tryouts.
Nedzu had reached out to her personally for an interview, since she had scored zero points in regards to damaging enemies.
Christ, even her voice was like his- the same passion and excitement, the same nuances and lilts. Her hands flailed as she spoke, part anxiety, part enthusiasm, part uncontrollable charisma.
“Why do you think you should be accepted, even after failing in damaging any of the enemies?”
“I don’t think a hero necessarily has to be physically capable of fighting- not to say I haven't trained hard to prepare my body for the hardships of hero work… I just think sometimes having a strong heart and will is more important… “ She was practically bouncing in her seat, green eyes filled with that special something only Yamada had.
“And what makes you want to be a hero?”
“Someone very special to me promised to make the world a better place- somewhere good I could grow up… Even if I’m not as strong as others, I want to help make the world a better place for him too… That's why I want to be a hero.”*
Aizawa closed his laptop, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh.
If he thought back, he could think to the exact moment it happened, fourteen years ago. Hizashi just disappeared for a week, told him it was some PR business he had to attend to… He came back looking like a zombie, acted like one too. Barely spoke, barely slept… He just played his guitar and shut himself in for a month.
And one day, he was back to his usual self- if anything, more than his usual self, working harder, taking more jobs.
His hit for that year was “Lemon and Lime”, what everyone assumed to be some unrequited lovesick song about a girl with blonde hair and green eyes…
It made so much sense now- the green eyed girl he had been singing about was his daughter.
Aizawa stood, shoving his things aside and grabbing his jacket.
Why the fuck hadn’t he told him?
“‘Zashi.”
The blonde looked up from his laptop, his smile soft and warm and oh so excited.
“Shouta! How were classes? Eri’s all tucked in bed and-”
“How many times have you lied to me?”
“What?” Hizashi wasted no time closing his laptop, moving to get up-
“Answer the question, Hizashi.”
“I… Shouta, I haven't- I’ve never lied to you. Why would I?”
“Then you don't trust me.”
“Shouta, what's wrong, what happened today?”
“ Why didn’t you trust me?”
Hizashi was floundering when Shouta dropped a file on the coffee table.
“Baby, I have no idea what you’re talking about-”
“You didn’t trust me enough to let me help you… After everything you had done for me- have done for me - you didn’t have the decency to open up… Hizashi, I have shared every bit of my life with you, and you didn’t tell me-”
Hizashi stood, file ignored as he closed the distance, arms pulling tight around his husband. “Shouta, I trust you with every bit of my body and soul… What’s wrong..?”
“Lemon and Lime wasn’t about a woman.”
As quickly as Hizashi had hugged him, he pulled away, eyes wide… Fearful, even. He took another step back.
“Shouta-”
“Were you ever going to tell me about her?”
“What is there to say, Shouta?” His cheerful tone was gone, his usually soft, soothing words now angry, bitter.
“You have a daughter. ”
“ I don’t. I never did. I saw her after she was born and that was it.”
“Well I think you’re going to have a blast when she starts English 2.”
“What?”
Shouta gestured to the files.
“I think you should read through those before you see her.”
Shouta had watched from the kitchen as Hizashi sat down, staring at the file. For a good few hours, Hizashi didn’t move. His eyes were watery, but tears never fell. He would reach, but his hand would fall short.
Shouta watched as Hizashi kept rubbing the bridge of his nose, under his eyes, pulling his hair back only to tug it out of its ponytail…
He had been too harsh on Hizashi. But… This wasn’t just some slip up, he didn’t just forget, he lied by omission. Hizashi betrayed his trust…
But watching him struggle alone in his own mind struck a chord deep too deep and too familiar.
Eventually, Shouta gave in, bringing over two cups of tea.
“We can go through it together, ‘Zashi.” Shouta said as he sat down beside him, pulling the blonde’s hands into his own, staring up at him. “You and me.”
Hizashi gave a weak nod, pulling his hands away long enough to remove his glasses and rub at his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Shouta.” Hizashi said in a quiet voice. Shouta gently took him in his arms, letting the voice hero hide his face against his neck.
They stayed up till the sun rose, talking. Shouta had never seen Hizashi looks so small or weak before- and when he listened to her U.A. interview, he absolutely fell apart.
“She’s talking about me… I… I gave a letter to her adoptive parents to give her if they ever saw it fit… I… I stay in contact with them, too… The only condition was that they never tell her who I was- legal reasons and all that…” He rubbed his nose on the sleeve of his sweater, sniffling. Shouta reached for a new box of tissues.
“I know it means nothing, but I’ve been sending them funding for school and clothes… At christmas they give her my gifts… I mean, up until the past few years… I guess they got worried I was getting too involved… “
“Don’t you think it's harder, watching her grow up from afar?”
“Shouta, you weren't there… The way she looked at me when I met her- I couldn’t live without seeing her grow up, but I couldn’t be the one to help her grow strong… I was a young, dumb kid…”
“I think you could have done it…” His tone was surprisingly soft, a hand reaching out to cup Hizashi’s cheek, thumb brushing stray tears away.
“Not the way I wanted to. Shouta- I didn't want her to feel like some secondary thought… Like I fucked up and had to change everything cause of her. I wanted her to be raised and loved by someone who could love her in every way she needed.”
“You’re not giving yourself any credit…” Shouta gently brushed Hizashi’s bangs back, pressing his forehead to his husbands. “You have the biggest heart I know of.”
“Y'know, I've been to her school recitals- she tried ballet…” A gross mix of a laugh and a choked sob left him as he rubbed at his eyes for the hundredth time. “Made me think of you… She sings, too… Plays guitar- she worked at her school radio station…”
“Hizashi… Have you ever reached out to her?”
“No… She shouldn’t know who I am.”
“‘Zashi, she’s going to U.A… She’s going to run into you- I recognized her the minute I saw her… You think she won't figure it out?”
He gave a small shrug, avoiding Shouta’s eyes.
“How much does she know about you?”
“Other than the letter I left with her parents…. Nothing?” The way he bit into his lip gave away his guilt, however. His hands fiddled and pulled at the hem of his sweater.
“Zashi.”
“I left letters with the gifts… Nothing special, just generic “Merry Christmas!” or “Congrats on graduating!” “
“You’re withholding information.” Shouta could see through anyone- especially Hizashi.
The blonde let out a long frustrated sigh, hair falling in his face as he deflated.
“You know how I call my fans “my listeners”?” Shouta nodded, already feeling his stomach drop. It was an identifier, part of his persona, one of his taglines…
“She was the first. She was my first little listener…” When he looked up, the tears had started again as he bit back his smile. “I signed all of them with “To my dearest little listener…””
“Everyone, please come up to the front of the class room and announce your hero names with an explanation on why you chose it. “
The blonde girl had jumped up first, thrumming with excitement as Shouta nodded to her.
She stood at the front of the class, bouncing on heels, hiding behind her sign.
“My inspiration comes from the famous pro hero, Present Mic!”
She turned the sign, green eyes peeking up over the edge of it.
“The healing voice hero- Transducer!” Midnight paused beside her. “Sounds techy- what's it mean?”
“Anything that can convert energy from one form to another, like a speaker, or…”
The girl bit her lip as she smiled- Hizashi’s nervous tic.
“A microphone.”
Midnight glanced over to Aizawa, raising a brow. He couldn’t stop the smirk that crossed his lips.
She was definitely his.
“Because my voice can heal, its like its converting all of that negative into good! So I picked Transducer!”
Midnight slammed her whip down on a desk as she cheered, approving the name with a thumbs up. Shouta couldn't hold back his chuckle.
Hizashi would love it.
“I can’t do it.”
“You can.”
“And how do I explain Eri…? And Shinsou?”
Shouta sighed, dragging his hands through his hair once more, rubbing at his neck after.
“Honestly. That's how.”
“I don’t have an excuse-”
“Hizashi, she looks up to you. I think she’s known far longer than we thought... “
“That makes it worse, Shouta!” Hizashi pulled his hair from its braid again, fussing as he tried to get his hair to look right. He had an interview in a few hours but he couldn't clear his head and focus on the interview questions, not when she was out there, and nothing with his hair was working-
“What excuse could I come up with for abandoning her then taking in two other children?” His voice held venom directed only at himself as he glared at his own reflection. Shouta hummed quietly.
“Well… What made you decide to take in Eri and Shinsou?” The erasure hero came up behind him, carefully smoothing out his clothing again before pulling the voice hero to sit on the floor in front of the mirror as he carefully began to braid it up into a bun.
He could see the gears in Hizashi’s head turning, his brows furrowed as he began tugging at his sleeves.
Hizashi’s eyes met Shouta’s own in the mirror, dead serious as he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“You.”
It was during lunch one day that Hizashi and Shouta ran into her.
Literally ran into her. Hizashi had jumped up in a panic, arms flailing as the girl was knocked back to the ground-
“I’m sorry, listener-”
“Dear listener.”
Hizashi froze, green eyes trapped in an identical pair. She looked nervous, hands balled up in the sleeves of her uniform, books scattered around her. She took a breath, working up as much courage as she could.
“I’m your dearest listener.”
Hizashi crouched down, hesitating before holding his hand out to her. She took it, squeezing it tight. Just like when he held it after she was born.
Both had tears in their eyes.
“That you are… And I’m your number one fan, Transducer.”
Extra:
This couldn’t be happening again .
He felt Deku bump into his back in the middle of the hall. Aizawa had invited them and a few others for a talk back with the first years about where they are now with their hero work. They had been on their way when he saw her.
He took a few steps forward, feeling his pulse race as he got a better look at her. “Excuse me.”
The blonde girl looked up, emerald eyes meeting his. “Um… Can I help you?”
“Are you Present Mic’s daughter?” Deku let out an exasperated groan from behind him. He was ready for the usual response, the brushing off. She smiled though, about to speak when a hand clamped on his shoulder.
“Todoroki! You have a lecture to be getting to- you’ll have time to catch up after class.” Present Mic’s grin was identical to hers as he shoved him along. Deku gave the girl a quick bow, apologizing for the question, then gave Present Mic a quick eye roll and a smile, dashing after Todoroki to catch up.
Mic slung an arm around her, laughing. “You can tell some people, but not him.” He held a finger to his lips. “It's a faculty joke now, sweetie. We gotta keep him guessing.”
Transducer laughed too, miming zipping her lips.